


chewing pink bubblegum (or, a memoir on the residents of crossandra avenue)

by bratlas



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fem!Jeonghan, Fem!Minghao, M/M, New And Improved pink bubblegum!, Rule 63, fem!Junhui, fem!Seungkwan, fem!Wonwoo, fem!seungcheol, she’s back ladies and gents, teenagers being idiots as usual, wonwoo has A Lot Of Problems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-04 09:56:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 56,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13362168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bratlas/pseuds/bratlas
Summary: “Welcome to Summerville, South Carolina.”Wonwoo might like it here.





	chewing pink bubblegum (or, a memoir on the residents of crossandra avenue)

**Author's Note:**

> (-: i hope u guys still enjoy this dumbass story lmfao

Jeonghan's riding on the handlebars of Vernon's bike when the U-Haul truck pulls up to house number 219, the dark blue house with the hydrangeas, the house that's been empty for close to a year.

"Whoa whoa whoa, who's moving in?" Jeonghan peers at the truck, trying to get a good look at who's inside. Vernon stops abruptly, nearly throwing Jeonghan off his handlebars.

"Careful!" Jeonghan shrieks.

"Sorry," Vernon amends, continuing on to the end of the street and then turning around, pedaling back towards the moving truck.

The passenger side door of the truck opens and someone hops out; Jeonghan can't tell if it's a boy or a girl yet, but they're tall, lanky and dressed entirely in black.

"Hey!" Jeonghan calls out, tossing her long locks over her shoulder. Vernon sputters behind her, and she knows he's suffered a face full of hair, but Jeonghan doesn't care much. Vernon turns into the driveway alongside the moving truck, stopping and knocking down the kickstand with his heel.

Up close, Jeonghan sees now it's a girl, though with her undercut, a mop of wavy black hair on top that hangs just barely past her ears, and tall, lanky build, she could easily pass as otherwise.

"Hi," she rasps, tone dull to match her bored expression.

"Woah," Vernon marvels, "Your voice is mad deep."

"Observant, aren't you?"

"Ignore him." Jeonghan hops off of Vernon's handlebars, finding that she has to tilt her head back to look up at the girl. "He's just my chauffeur until my parents give me my car keys back. I'm Jeonghan."

"Wonwoo." She sucks her teeth, offering a small, surprisingly delicate hand to Jeonghan.

"Nice to meet you." Jeonghan happily shakes Wonwoo's hand, flashes a charming grin while using her other hand to lazily comb out her dark tresses.

"You too." Wonwoo looks Jeonghan up and down briefly. "Well. I gotta unpack. You're free to help."

Jeonghan makes a face.

"Thought so," Wonwoo grumbles, flashing straight, pearly teeth in a half-smile. "See you around, Jeonghan. Jeonghan's chauffuer."

Vernon salutes lazily as Jeonghan hops back onto his handlebars and he backs out of the driveway before pedaling down the street.

 

"’d you see that someone moved into 219?" Jeonghan asks, using Seungcheol's ass as a pillow. They're lounging in the latter's bedroom, window open in the hopes of coaxing in a breeze.

"Yeah, haven't seen who yet." Seungcheol doesn't look up from her phone screen, rosebud lips parted slightly.

"It's a hot lesbian. Her name's Wonwoo," Jeonghan grins.

"Pause. I'm the only hot lesbian allowed to live on this street, this Wonwoo bitch better be ready to fight me."

"Do it, throw hands with her in the middle of the street. I'll get everyone to record every possible angle." Jeonghan grins. Seungcheol looks back at her, batting long eyelashes.

"Why do you encourage violence?"

"It's summer. The whites took my car keys. I enjoy aimless violence. I'm a teenage girl with needs, Seungcheol."

"Why can't you have normal needs? I missed when you were just crazy for dick instead of fighting everyone." Seungcheol sits up on her knees, effectively taking away Jeonghan's pillow (and pulling some of her hair with it.)

"Ow," whines Jeonghan, delicately pulling her hair free and pouting at Seungcheol. "I was comfortable, you horrible gay."

"Sorry." Seungcheol grins toothily at Jeonghan, getting up off her bed. "Let's go round up everyone else, I'm bored and I'm positive they can provide some entertainment."

"Let's see if Hot Lesbian Wonwoo is home, and if she's willing to partake in whatever dumb idea Vernon will inevitably have." Jeonghan watches Seungcheol change out of the pajamas she's been wearing all day into a pair of tiny compression shorts that squeeze her thighs and a sports bra beneath a tank top with the sides cut out.

"I still don't know who the hell names their kid Vernon," Seungcheol says as she pulls on a pair of ugly white Nike crew socks.

"His mom's white, I don't know. Speaking of white people, why do you dress like the whitest white girl ever?"

"I'm comfortable, fuck you." Seungcheol laughs, gathering her thick shoulder length hair into a bun. Soft baby hairs curl at her nape, and she blinks her bangs out of her eyes.

"Yeah." Jeonghan takes Seungcheol's phone, scrolling through the other's snapchat. She opens anything from their group of friends, replies to all of them with a face that should never see the light of day again. (Vernon screenshots it. The little fuck.)

"Come on, let's go," Seungcheol takes her phone back, tugging on her equally ugly baby pink Nike Air Maxes.

"You're horrible," Jeonghan sighs, sitting on the floor to untie her Vans so she can pull them back on.

"You're wasting my time."

"Fuck off."

Jeonghan follows Seungcheol down the stairs, through the living room, where Seungcheol's father is reading the paper.

Seungcheol says something to him in Korean. Jeonghan stands there awkwardly because she was adopted as a baby and her White As Hell parents never prioritized keeping her ~in touch with her culture~ or whatever.

Seungcheol's father doesn't seem happy, but in the end Seungcheol tugs Jeonghan out of the house.

"Ugh. He always has something to say about what I'm wearing," she mutters. "I'm serious, if it was his way, I'd be dressed in a turtleneck and sweatpants all the fucking time."

"There...there." Jeonghan pats Seungcheol's shoulder in an attempt at sympathy right before Vernon's bike goes flying past them, someone screams, and then there's a crash.

"Oh, God.." Seungcheol peers down the street.

"It's a bloodbath." Minghao walks past them, her phone in her hand, recording all that just happened.

"That was sick!" Vernon emerges from the wreckage with roadburn up the length of his left arm, grinning. Soonyoung, whoever, is still crushed under the bike, groaning weakly.

"Is his hand supposed to be facing backwards?" Mingyu queries dryly, walking lankily alongside Minghao.

"What did you guys do?" Jeonghan asks incredulously, walking closer with Seungcheol by her side.

"I tried doing a crankflip with Soonyoung on my pegs," Vernon answers, lifting his bike off of the aforementioned Soonyoung.

"And you thought this was a good idea...why, exactly?" Seungcheol questions.

"Hey, Mom." Vernon greets, seemingly not hearing Seungcheol's question.

"Gross. I’d never want you for a kid."

"Ouch. Jeonghan’s supposed to be the one abusing me, I thought you were on my side." Vernon heaves Soonyoung to his feet.

"I don’t think any of us would want you as a son though," Minghao points out.

_"Hey!"_

"I heard screaming." Seungkwan comes out of her house, eyebrows raised. Vernon closes his mouth, quietly examines the roadburn on his arm. Mingyu snorts quietly and nudges Minghao, who smirks.

"I think Vernon killed Soonyoung. Or at least caused mild brain damage," Minghao asserts.

"I. Am. Concussed." Soonyoung enunciates.

 

"I'm absolutely not going to keep track of all your names." Wonwoo's pretty mouth is stained blue from the slushie she's been sipping on.

"It's okay, I called Vernon 'white boy' for, like. Three months after I first met him," Jeonghan reassures around a mouthful of salt and vinegar Pringles.

"It killed my self esteem, really," Vernon adds sarcastically.

"So where'd you move from?" the other boy with an English name asks curiously.

"California?"

"Whereabouts? I moved here from LA in my freshman year!" his eyes light up, and he flashes bunny teeth in a shy smile.

"Compton." Wonwoo laughs.

"Oh shit, like the movie?" Vernon asks, grinning.

"Yeah, except I'm a skinny Asian girl, not a rapper making powerful commentary on the mistreatment of black lives by authority figures through music. So." Wonwoo wraps her lips around her straw, sipping once more. Vernon's eyes are glazed over.

"None of that registered in his dumb brain, I hope you realize that." Minghao pops her gum.

"Yeah, I assumed as much when he started catching flies."

"Vernon. Stop embarrassing me and at least appear to have an IQ that exceeds 71." Seungkwan reaches over, hitting Vernon until he closes his mouth.

"Anyways," Jeonghan speaks over them, "welcome to Summerville, South Carolina. We are literally all the Asian people you will meet here."

"Cool." Wonwoo nods her head.

 

"Thankfully, this neighborhood's pretty cool," Jeonghan explains as they're walking along the path that leads from one corner of the neighborhood to the shopping center that contains a Publix, McDonalds, and a gas station, also known as a bored, hungry teenager's ideal threesome.

"There's tons of cool places to go. And, normally, we could drive around and bump some sick tunes, but Gary and Helene took my car keys for reasons, so unfortunately, that cannot happen."

"Reasons being that she got caught sending nudes to a boy," Minghao informs Wonwoo, not bothering to lower her voice.

"Wow, thanks, Minghao, really appreciate that you're laying all my cards out for me." Jeonghan glares at Minghao through her curtain of black hair.

"You're welcome." Minghao smiles.

"They're always like that," the girl walking beside Wonwoo mumbles to her. Wonwoo can only remember that her name starts with a J, but she's tall and has lots of makeup on. "You get used to it."

"Red-haired Raggedy-Anne looking-ass bitch," Jeonghan mutters as they reach the clubhouse at the center of the neighborhood. On its left is a playground, and to the right of that, behind the clubhouse, a pool, which is busy with young children and tired babysitters trying to prevent head injuries.

"It's better when it's not crowded, obviously. We'll go at night," Jeonghan explains as she lets herself through the gate to the playground.

"Hey, Jeonghan!" a white girl who can't be older than twelve waves to her from the swings.

"Pretend you don't see her. Penny, how many times have I told you not to fucking talk to me when I'm with my friends?" Jeonghan snaps back. Penny looks crestfallen, tears welling up in her big green eyes.

"I'm helping her in the long run," Jeonghan makes quick work of climbing to the top of the jungle gym, perched there gracefully with her legs crossed; the others follow awkwardly at half speed.

"See that boy at the picnic table? She likes him, and he's gonna be like _'oh no don't be sad'_ and they'll sympathize about what a bitch her weird squinty-eyed older sister is, then make out, and then by like, freshman year they'll fuck and Penny will realize how disappointing boys are, and she'll be like _wow thanks Jeonghan_."

"That's...infallible logic," the shortest of the group, a boy whose name also begins with the letter J, blinks at Jeonghan from the ground, not bothering to risk breaking something on the jungle gym.

"See? Jihoon knows what's up." Jeonghan's grin clearly means trouble.

 

"What you were saying before, about not being able to drive places because somehow you're the only one with a car–"

"Not everyone can be rich, Compton girl."

"–don't interrupt me, fucker. As I was saying, I have a car, and I am....kind of willing to contribute to this shitshow," Wonwoo gestures vaguely around. They're all seated in Vernon's garage, and Vernon himself is ripping on a massive bong, still chuckling at Wonwoo calling him _fucker_.

Wonwoo eyes his crew socks, which have weed leaves on them. "I was praying you wore those ironically."

"No, Vernon's about as hypebeast as it gets," Chan, the only one whose name Wonwoo remembered because it was one syllable and Jeonghan made a point of emphasizing that he was The Baby, deadpans.

"I'm not even–" Vernon coughs a few times, "–that bad, fuck you guys."

"You act like a white boy and therefore annoy the shit out of us all." Jeonghan shrugs her shoulders.

It's not quite home yet, but Wonwoo thinks she'll like it here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the sun begins to set around eight, Wonwoo awakens from a killer nap to a pounding on the front door.

"I got it!" she jumps up, racing down the stairs before her mother can answer the door. Don't get Wonwoo wrong, Jeonghan and the others all seem like nice people, but she isn't sure she wants to expose her poor mother to all that quite yet.

Wonwoo opens the door, and Jeonghan snorts.

"Nice bedhead. It's pool time, loser."

"I was taking a good old depression nap, for your information."

"Those are the best."

"Mmhm. Let me go get my bathing suit on. Mom!" Wonwoo shouts even though her mother is in the kitchen not even twenty feet away.

"Wonwoo!" her mom shouts back.

"I'm gonna go to the pool with some friends, okay?"

"Sure, peanut, be safe."

"Peanut?" Jeonghan snickers as Wonwoo tugs her up the stairs to her room.

"Shut up," Wonwoo rolls her eyes. "My room's kind of a horror show. I haven't properly unpacked yet."

"My bedroom has been the seventh level of hell since, like, 2006." Jeonghan responds, sitting on Wonwoo's mattress (the bedframe is leaned against the wall, yet to be assembled) and watching the tall girl dig through her boxes until she pulls out a bathing suit. It's a backless red one-piece that she changes into with no regard for the fact that Jeonghan's right there.

"I appreciate the show," Jeonghan wiggles her eyebrows. No longer hidden by large, baggy t-shirts, Wonwoo is slender rather than skinny, barely-there curves sloping from chest to stomach, hip to thigh. Jeonghan gets glimpses of tattoos before Wonwoo slips a hoodie over her head.

"I can tell by the way you're staring." Wonwoo slides her long legs into a pair of black denim shorts and buttons them up. "Okay, let's go."

 

 

"Also, going to the pool at night is better for the reason that some of us, also known as Jihoon and Jihoon alone, are pale fuckers whom the sun hates," Jeonghan explains as they're walking (well, Vernon's riding his bike, and Jeonghan's on the handlebars) to the pool.

"I can't deny it," Jihoon responds monotonously, shrugging his shoulders. The girl walking beside Jihoon crinkles her nose.

"I don't like the sun, it gives me freckles."

"Jun, next time you complain about having freckles, I'm gonna punch you in your perfect nose," Jeonghan growls at the tall girl. Junhui's too busy messing with the string on her bikini to answer.

"It's kind of a shame you're gay," Vernon says out of nowhere, looking over at Wonwoo and flashing a grin full of braces.

"I don't think I ever told you guys I was gay. I mean, like, you aren't wrong, but. That's a pretty heavy assumption to make."

"For a straight boy, I have excellent gaydar." Vernon wiggles his eyebrows. Seungcheol runs forward, in front of them, grabbing Vernon's handlebars to stop him just as they reach the end of the street and a car zooms past, inches from hitting them. Over her shoulder, Wonwoo hears who she thinks is Chan snicker and mutter, “ _Straight_. Okay.” 

"Jeonghan. You are Vernon's eyes when you sit on his handlebars, and therefore not allowed to let the either of you get hit by a car." Seungcheol stares up at Jeonghan.

"I was gonna tell him to stop. Eventually," Jeonghan defends, shrugging. Seungcheol blinks at her in incredulity before they all resume their trek.

The pool has a 'Closed' sign hanging on the gate, but Jeonghan just lets herself in anyways, the others following.

There's a group of teenage boys already there. Jeonghan groans, flinging her head back.

"The Whites are upon us."

"Hey, chinks!" one of them shouts.

"Hey, I’m new to the South, can you guys answer this question since you’re part of the culture and all; do you fuck all your family members or just the ones you find hot?" Wonwoo laughs in response, pulling her hoodie off.

"Don't, this isn't the knife you want to die on. Trust me," Junhui mumbles.

"Oh, no, it _definitely_ is.” 

"It's not worth the fight," Seungcheol answers, sighing.

"Okay, but not only are they racist, their racism is inaccurate racism." Wonwoo frowns.

"Unfortunately, you can't expect much from white trash." Jeonghan gathers all of her hair up into a bun, slipping out of the sheer cover-up she's wearing and leaving her sandals by one of the lounge chairs. The others follow similarly, and Vernon is the first one to jump in, effectively splashing them all.

"Vernon, I swear to God," Junhui hisses through her teeth, delicately wiping water droplets off of her bare face. He grins at her, but his happy expression turns to one of horror when Seungkwan jumps in, immediately dunking him beneath the clear blue water.

Even in the deep end, which is close to six feet deep, Mingyu can stand comfortably, meaning Jihoon clings to his front like a baby koala instead of having to tread water.

"The shallow end exists." Wonwoo blinks at them, seated on the concrete edge with her legs swishing gently in the water.

"Yeah, but the whites are over there. So," Vernon says before he dunks Seungkwan beneath the water. She resurfaces, sputtering, and hits him in the chest.

" _So_? They can't monopolize a fucking pool," Wonwoo laughs, pulling her legs up out of the water and getting to her feet.

"Hoe, don't do it," Jeonghan hisses, but Wonwoo just grins at her, walking towards the shallow end of the pool.

"Go back to China, ching chong," one of the boys leers as Wonwoo steps into the pool, a little smirk on her lips.

"Listen, my guy, you can like, leave me alone or I’ll find your fuckin’ confederafe flag and burn it for clout. It’s not really a big deal to me,” Wonwoo deadpans, 

Surprisingly, they actually pick up and leave, and Wonwoo grins triumphantly.

"See? No dying on any knives tonight." Wonwoo gets comfortable on the stairs leading into the pool.

"That was the most ruthless thing I've ever witnessed," Vernon remarks, swimming over to the shallow end with a ridiculous doggy paddle.

"Helen Keller was a better swimmer than you." Seungkwan backstrokes past him. Vernon dunks her again.

 

An hour later, damp and happily exhausted, they walk to the gas station for 25-cent slushies and cans of Pringles. Vernon buys a Redbull as well, dumping half of it into his cherry slush.

"You're gonna die." Minghao blinks at him, her sleepy eyes incredulous.

"A boy can only hope." Vernon slurps from his straw pointedly. Joshua gives them a strange look, and Jeonghan pats his shoulder sympathetically.

"Oh, Josh, you still don't understand casual existentialism."

"No, I get it, I just don't get _why_."

Jihoon crawls into Junhui's lap. She's long enough that he's slightly dwarfed by her. "There is no why, we just constantly wish for the sweet embrace of death."

"I wish for a new horse trailer, but you know."

"We get it, Mingyu, you're a hick." Minghao rolls her eyes. Jeonghan gasps, cradling Mingyu's head to her chest.

"Leave him alone, Mingyu is the purest animal boy."

"Hick." Minghao blinks. Mingyu shoots her the finger as Jeonghan strokes his hair.

"I have a weird question because I honestly can't tell with you guys." Wonwoo speaks up, chewing on her straw absently.

"Is it if any of us are dating?" Seungcheol raises an eyebrow.

Wonwoo blinks. "Actually, yes."

"The only, like, _couples_ , are Junhui and Jihoon. They've been dating since like eighth grade for...some unfathomable reason.”

"I think it's because they're the signs everyone hates the most. Gemini and Scorpio?" Minghao grins.

"You're also a Scorpio, you absolute demon," Jihoon points out.

"I, as a Gemini, take offense to this. Also, you’re forgetting that Chan is my boyfriend who I love very much." Soonyoung shoots some slushie from his straw at Minghao. It hits her in the face and she shrieks, throwing her whole cup back at him. Soonyoung gets doused in blue syrup and crushed ice, and he gasps, jaw dropping.

Minghao jumps up, running away before Soonyoung can retaliate. Soonyoung scrambles to his feet, yelling for Chan to come help as he chases the red-haired girl. The youngest sighs as he gets up, loping after them.

By the time the others catch up, Minghao, Soonyoung, and Chan are sitting on the sidewalk reentering the neighborhood, and Minghao's hair is dripping cola-flavored slushie. Chan looks slightly traumatized.

"Are you guys all even?" Jeonghan clutches her extra-large slushie as if it's in danger of being thrown as well.

"Totally," Minghao answers stiffly.

"We can all crash at my house tonight if you guys want. You all gotta shower, no stickiness in my room," Junhui wrinkles her nose at Soonyoung. Vernon snorts quietly, and Seungkwan shoots him a glare.

"Did your brain never mature past the sixth grade?"

"Stickiness," he guffaws dumbly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Wonwoo wakes up to quiet guffawing and sweat beading on her skin. She's lying on a mass of blankets organized into a makeshift bed on Junhui's bedroom floor, Minghao and Seungkwan still fast asleep on either side of her.

As it turns out, the laughter is coming from Vernon, who is sitting up, leaning against the wall, his phone in his hand.

"If you play one more Vine of Guy Fieri, I swear to God I'm gonna kill you," Junhui threatens from where she's spooning Jihoon in her bed.

Vernon snickers, and Jeonghan growls from the floor at the foot of Junhui's bed:

"Vernon. You will be Ver- _none_ if you do not shut your Caucasian mouth."

Wonwoo snorts tiredly, resting an arm behind her head.

"You guys are all so mean to me," Vernon whines, kicking his legs childishly.

"Vernon, you really, honestly deserve it." Jeonghan sits up slowly, stretching her arms over her head with a groan.

"What did I ever do?" Vernon crosses his arms.

"You're such a...whatever your kind is, that my mom is confident in letting us be in my room alone together. My mother, the same woman that wouldn't let me even go upstairs with Joshua fucking Hong." Jeonghan raises an eyebrow. Junhui wheezes.

"Helene wouldn't let you go upstairs with the second coming of the Virgin Mary? Seriously?" Jihoon asks, opening one eye skeptically.

"I'm dead serious," Jeonghan snickers.

"Do you actually enjoy being the little spoon?" Vernon questions Jihoon, who laughs.

"Yes, for my masculinity isn't so fragile that I can't comfortably cuddle my girlfriend."

"Just asking," Vernon shrugs his shoulders, crawling across the room to poke Seungkwan in her cheek.

"Wake up," he says loudly into her ear. Seungkwan backhands him and rolls back over.

 

An hour later, they're all gathered in the kitchen, crammed around the table (which was definitely not engineered to fit thirteen teenagers) while one of Junhui's moms makes pancakes.

"Mrs. Wen, can you believe Seungkwan hit me?" Vernon complains, the red mark still visible on his cheek.

"Don't answer him, it gives him strength," Jeonghan advises. "He's like the final boss in a horrible video game."

"You deserved it." Seungkwan sips her coffee. Vernon sighs, shaking his head.

"Can we please refrain from hitting each other?" Junhui's mom brings over a heaping plate of pancakes, setting it in the middle of the table. Within seconds, everyone has grabbed at least one, leaving the plate empty.

"I guess I'll make more, then. Junhui, you have a new friend, be polite and introduce him to your dear mother."

Wonwoo looks up, eyes widening, and she looks at Junhui and points to herself, questioning.

"Mom, that's a girl," Junhui groans as Jeonghan begins cackling, throwing her head back.

"Oh! My bad!" Mrs. Wen widens her eyes apologetically, but Wonwoo shakes her head, laughing.

"You're not the first to do that, it's fine," she stands up, leaning over the table to shake Junhui's mom's hand. "I'm Jeon Wonwoo," she grins.

"It’s nice to meet you." Junhui's mom has the same toothy, slightly-awkward-but-mostly-endearing grin as Junhui.

"Yeah, likewise." Wonwoo sits back down to find that her one, lone pancake has been stolen.

"Who wants to die today?" she looks around the table slowly. Vernon slowly chews and swallows.

 

Wonwoo had to go home and unpack, so Jeonghan decides it's as good a time as ever to do some digging on their newest friend.

"I found her Instagram," announces Soonyoung. Jeonghan snatches his phone ("You could've just asked for it!") and scans the screen.

 

**@wonmoo**

**‘2 punk 4 u’**

_’whats up i’m into tattoos n my gf’_

 

Jeonghan smiles lazily, clicking on the most recent picture in Wonwoo's feed. She has her arm around the shoulders of a shorter girl with smooth, rich black skin and box braids in a loose bun. Wonwoo and the girl are both grinning at the camera, a pair of tickets loosely held in Wonwoo's hand.

The caption reads, "ironically enough i'm not into k-pop but you are so i hope got7 was a good enough 'i'm sorry i'm leaving' gift. see you soon fruit crepe </3"

"Ooooh, who's that?" Seungcheol peers over Jeonghan's shoulder. Jeonghan goes to the tagged account, raising an eyebrow.

 

**@amara_j**

**‘Pro Princess‘**

_’dont call me fruit crepe unless ur jeon wonwoo’_

 

"Girlfriends?" Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, noting more than one picture of them together as she scrolls though the girl's account. Funny enough, she seems to be a polar opposite to Wonwoo's quiet, dark vibe, always wearing soft colors and smiling brightly.

"Aw, she's cute," Seungcheol smiles. "I support it."

"What's happening?" Minghao leans over to look as well.

"We're stalking Wonwoo and her maybe-girlfriend," answers Jeonghan.

"Fruit crepe is a pretty gay thing to call someone, they're definitely dating," Soonyoung mumbles from where he's been sitting across from Jeonghan, doing his best to read the screen upside down.

"True," Vernon agrees before there's a shout for Vernon Hansol Choi Come And Clean Your Damn Room from down the street and he gets up.

"See you guys later," Vernon salutes, jogging away.

"It's really weird that you guys are stalking our friend. That being said, let me see," Mingyu rolls up on his longboard, putting his foot down to stop the movement and leaning down to see as well.

 

"Already making friends?"

Wonwoo glances away from the silverware she's sorting into a drawer, not looking straight at her mother.

"Uh..yeah. Didn't have much of a choice, they just kinda sucked me in." She shrugs her shoulders.

"Better than nothing, right? They seem nice."

Wonwoo is quiet for a moment, shrugging again. "Yeah, I guess."

She hates this fake-nice façade. She knows there's way more that needs to be said, more than just awkward small talk about how she's settling in or whatever.

"I'm gonna go work on my room." Wonwoo finally tosses the empty box into the growing pile in the living room, ascending the stairs to her room before she's forced to talk any more.

 

The sun is just beginning to set. Chan sneaks out his back door, jogs to the street where Wonwoo's Jeep is waiting. Joshua managed to borrow his mother’s Sorento, so Seungcheol, Jihoon, Junhui, Seokmin, Vernon, and Seungkwan are riding with them. Jeonghan’s sitting in Wonwoo’s passenger seat, and Minghao and Mingyu are in the backseat, with just enough room for Chan to squeeze in. Soonyoung’s in the trunk, if the elder yelling, “Yo, does this car have Bluetooth?” from the back is anything to judge by.

"Might wanna hold onto something," is all Wonwoo says before she starts driving, looping around to the front of the neighborhood.

As it turns out, Wonwoo's driving puts the Genuine Fear Of Death in everyone, and by the time she parks in front of the Cookout, Jeonghan is clutching the edge of her seat, knuckles white.

"I'm never getting into a car with you again," Soonyoung falls out of the trunk once Chan opens it.

"Tell me again why I so desperately need to try Cookout?" Wonwoo asks as she jumps out of the driver's side.

"It's, like, the Southern equivalent of In 'n Out." Joshua shoves his hands into his pockets.

"Gotcha," Wonwoo nods, still looking vaguely confused as Jeonghan walks up to the restaurant; it's not really even a restaurant, just a building with a drive-thru or a window to walk up and order, with a few picnic tables placed haphazardly. Seokmin and Seungcheol take on the task of pushing two of those tables together so everyone can sit comfortably.

"Everyone generally pays for their own stuff, except Vernon pays for Seungkwan, Mingyu pays for Minghao, and I pay for Chan. I'll pay for you this time because you're new and lent your car freedom to a ten o'clock trip to Cookout." Jeonghan explains to Wonwoo, who nods slowly.

"Speaking of paying for shit, if I'm giving you guys rides all the time, I expect gas money. I don't really get an allowance to pay for stuff," Wonwoo blinks at Jeonghan, who seems a little affronted at first.

"Uh. Okay," Jeonghan tosses her hair over her shoulder before starting to rattle off her order.

 

Jeonghan, not surprisingly, is spending the night at Seungcheol's again.

"Wonwoo was kind of being a bitch tonight," Jeonghan slurps the last of her milkshake from earlier, placing the empty styrofoam cup on Seungcheol's nightstand and peering lazily into the mirror on the vanity, finger-combing her long hair.

"How so? She was just quiet," Seungcheol glances past her phone at Jeonghan.

"When we were at Cookout, she got all snippy about gas money, and, like, implied that my parents pay for everything I get." Jeonghan rolls her eyes.

"Okay, but...they do. I think Wonwoo was just being straight up with you, Han."

"You didn't hear the way she said it." Jeonghan huffs adamantly.

"Fine, okay." Seungcheol holds her hands up.

"Whatever, I won't even care about it by tomorrow." Jeonghan slips out of her bra without bothering to take off her shirt, stepping out of her denim shorts and crawling into bed beside Seungcheol.

"Night," Jeonghan presses a chaste kiss to Seungcheol's cheek before turning over and going to sleep.

Thankfully, Seungcheol turns the light off before Jeonghan could ever see the dark flush on her golden skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's an especially warm, muggy Sunday morning, and because she can't stand being inside all day, even if it means air conditioning, Wonwoo's exploring the neighborhood alone.

She's made it to a front corner of the massive suburbs, where there lies a small pond and shade trees.

"Aren't you hot?"

Wonwoo jumps so hard she almost drops her phone, swearing under her breath as she whirls around to see who spoke.

Vernon's bike wobbles a tiny bit because of how slowly he's pedaling, hands hanging at his sides, but he just looks Wonwoo up and down pointedly. She looks down at her black skinny jeans, black shoes, and black hoodie, and shrugs.

"I don't know where all my summer clothes are packed," she pauses her music, wrapping her earbuds around her phone and shoving it into her pocket.

"Fair. What are you doing walking around all alone?" Vernon's balance wavers a little too much, and he grabs his handlebars, steadying himself.

"Uh, exactly that?"

"Exactly what?"

"Walking around all alone."

Vernon scrunches his nose up a little in realization. "Oh. Right. Well, be careful, the whites in this neighborhood like to call the police over anything remotely suspicious. Mingyu got slammed on the hood of a police cruiser once because Jeonghan locked her keys in her own car and he was helping her unlock it, one of the neighborhood watch lady reported someone trying to break into a car, it was a mess.

"Wait, I went off on a tangent. Basically, white people don't like suspicious activity, and someone walking around their neighborhood alone dressed in all black – that's you – is suspicious activity."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised that the whites down here are searching for reasons to arrest people too," Wonwoo mutters, sighing.

"Shit, right, isn't shit crazy where you're from?" Vernon's eyes widen in realization.

"Yeah. Not saying we were perfect kids, but nothing a teenager does gives you the right to pull a gun on him, y'know? Pig put his beam right on my friend Mack's head. They like to presume the hell out of shit, it was funny. They assumed my friends were the ones causing trouble, I somehow was always just forgotten. Because–"

"Because you weren't black?" Vernon frowns.

"Yeah," Wonwoo scoffs, "it's some bullshit."

"Damn," Vernon takes his hands off his handlebars again, taking his phone from his pocket and checking for any messages.

"Oh. Jeonghan's, like, annoyed at you or something. I dunno, apparently Seungcheol mentioned it to Minghao, who told Seungkwan, who just told me."

Wonwoo raises an eyebrow. "Jeonghan couldn't tell me that herself?"

"For a teenage girl, you don't function like one. No, Jeonghan would absolutely never tell you that to your face, because that would be 'starting drama'. I'm pretty sure this is more drama right now, but what do I know?" Vernon shrugs, "Whatever. I'll leave you to explore, Compton Girl. Don't scare any whites."

Wonwoo waves, watching Vernon pedal away.

 

"Where's J-Dog?" Vernon looks around as he pedals up to the little congregation of teenagers, consisting of Jeonghan, Seungcheol, Junhui, Jihoon, Minghao, and Chan.

"It's Sunday, Hong has church, remember?" Jeonghan raises an eyebrow at Vernon, who pretends to stick a finger down his throat.

"Where's the new one?" Jeonghan inquires. Vernon knocks down his kickstand, focused on his phone screen.

"How should I know?"

"Vernon, you are no good to me."

"Hey, that's what my mom tells me!"

Soonyoung pushes over Vernon's bike (taking Vernon with it) as he approaches, hands in his pockets.

"Hey," Chan waves. Soonyoung grins at him, waving back.

"Uh. Bad news. I guess. My stepdad, who isn't really my stepdad he's just my mom's Rude White boyfriend, says I have a curfew now. I told him to kiss my vivacious Asian ass, and now I'm grounded. So. You won't see me for approximately a week," Soonyoung shrugs awkwardly.

"Soonyoung," Junhui groans, "why can't you just keep your mouth shut?"

"I'm a Gemini."

"Actually, that's fair."

"Well. Yeah. That's all I came to tell you guys. I gotta go back now," Soonyoung makes a face, turning on his heel and loping back to his house. Jeonghan waves goodbye. Vernon flips him off from the ground.

"We should do something tonight now that we have a ride again," Jihoon suggests.

"Only if you can give Wonwoo gas money," Jeonghan raises an eyebrow.

"Ugh, really?" Jihoon groans. "Does she know I'm broke?"

"We're all a little broke, her included, that's kind of why she asks for gas money," Seungcheol frowns. "I don't get why you think that's unreasonable."

"She shouldn't have offered if she expected gas money," Jeonghan gathers her hair into a loose bun.

"Maybe..that's..why she offered.." Seungcheol frowns. "You know, common courtesy, someone gives you rides, you give them gas money for said rides?"

At Jeonghan's perplexed expression, Seungcheol sighs, "I say this with all well meaning, okay? But...your parents kind of give you everything you want. You don't have to ask for gas money, because they'll pay for it. Wonwoo has to fill her own tank. Y'know?"

"Can I just say that this is kind of a dumb thing to make such a big deal about?" Vernon mutters, eyes still glued to his phone.

 

"Not hanging out with your friends today?"

Wonwoo glances up from the container of cold noodles she was hoping to find enlightenment in, meeting her mother's eyes.

"Uh, nah. Kinda needed to recharge the social battery," she mumbles, picking at her noodles with her fork.

"Have you called your father lately?"

"Why should I?"

"Wonwoo–"

"Fine, I'll call him later." Wonwoo sighs. Her mother seems so tired, and Wonwoo feels a little bad knowing she's one of the reasons for that stress, that exhaustion.

"I miss my little girl," her mother finally sighs.

"I'm not having this conversation, Mom."

"Why?"

"How can you miss who I used to be if you weren't even there to see me grow up? This is our first time living together since I was in, what, fifth grade?" Wonwoo sets down her food, frowning.

"I know, honey, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't be there, but I got better for you, I'm still trying to get better for you."

Wonwoo closes her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Her mother's voice is soft, soothing the way it used to be when Wonwoo was little and oblivious to the world beyond her front yard.

"It's okay to be angry at me, peanut. You have every right. But I want to try and make it up to you as best as I can, okay?"

Wonwoo sighs, nodding slowly. "Yeah. Sorry."

Unable to fill the silence after that, Wonwoo picks up her noodles again and grabs her phone with the other hand, stepping out onto the back patio, dialing the number she remembers no matter how long it's been.

"You're on the line with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Press one to speak with an inmate."

Wonwoo hits the number on her phone screen before holding it back to her ear.

"Who would you like to speak with today?"

"Uh. Jeon...no, not Jones. Jeon. Like, J-E-O-N."

Wonwoo sighs when she's put on hold, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder.

"Your conversation will be recorded. Is this okay?"

"Yeah. Sure."

There's a mechanical beep, and then, a click.

"Hello?"

"Hey, dad."

 

"Where have you been?" Seokmin asks as Wonwoo ambles across the street to where he's sitting on the curb, phone in hand.

"Around. Everyone else busy?" Wonwoo looks around.

"No, I'm waiting on them all. Jeonghan wants to harass you for a ride to the mall."

"I think I already had the whole ride conversation with her."

"I know, Jeonghan just isn't used to not getting her way," Seokmin shrugs. He pretends to zip his lips shut as Jeonghan leaves her house, and as if on cue, everyone else comes trudging out of their own homes.

"Huh." Wonwoo sits down beside Seokmin, crossing her ankles.

"Scare any whites?" Vernon asks, hopping on one foot as he ties his shoe – dirty black Vans complete with white Nike crew socks – and almost runs into Mingyu.

"Unfortunately not," Wonwoo grins.

"What are you guys talking about?" Jeonghan asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I ran into her walking around earlier, we had a good conversation about white people."

"You said you didn't know where she was!" Jeonghan huffs.

"Oops, sorry," Vernon shrugs his shoulders. Jeonghan glares for a moment before looking at Wonwoo.

"Can we bum a ride?"

"Dunno," Wonwoo unlocks her phone, checking her messages.

Jeonghan sighs, opening up her purse and taking out her debit card, waving it in front of Wonwoo's face. "Yes, I have gas money."

"Then sure. Also, put any part of you that close to my face again and I'll break it. Let's go!" Wonwoo grins, getting up and loping back over to her house, disappearing inside for a moment before coming back out, twirling her key ring around one finger.

"Someone isn't so big and bad anymore," Mingyu chuckles, nudging Jeonghan as he walks past with Minghao, following everyone else as they pile into Wonwoo's car. Jeonghan's eye twitches a little, but she follows, because a ride is still a ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mall is massive and bustling with life, bored teenagers searching for a way to waste their summer.

"Hypothetically speaking, what would you want for your birthday?" Jihoon asks Junhui, who intertwines her fingers with his, swinging their arms gently.

"A taller boyfriend."

"Rude. Mingyu's right there, be my guest." Jihoon pulls his hand away from Junhui's, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"I'm _teasiiiing._ " Junhui wraps her arms around Jihoon's shoulders from behind, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I like my tiny boyfriend. And the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit."

"Noted." Jihoon smiles grudgingly as Junhui walks alongside him, linking their hands once more.

"That reminds me, I gotta ask Soonyoung what he wants for his birthday," mumbles Chan thoughtfully.

"You could be asking him right now if he wasn't so fuckin' mouthy." Jeonghan rolls her eyes.

"To be fair, his stepdad's a Dick. Capital D and everything." Seokmin shoves his hands into his pockets.

"The world's full of dicks, especially when you're a teenager, more commonly known as The Public Enemy. You just deal with it." Seungcheol messes with her cartilage piercing absentmindedly.

"Eh, you're probably right," Vernon mumbles. He's looking at his phone, and had Seungkwan not yanked him out of the way, he would have walked right into a decorative plant.

"My hero." Vernon grins at Seungkwan, who makes a disgusted noise, flicking him in the ear. Vernon's smile becomes a pout and he rubs the offended ear, glaring halfheartedly at Seungkwan.

"Hey. You're quiet.” Jeonghan nudges Wonwoo, who looks back at her, eyes widening slightly.

"That's just..how I am," she responds slowly, shrugging one shoulder. Jeonghan's expression shifts to one of confusion.

"Wait, people that are naturally quiet, like...actually exist?" she tilts her head to the side. Wonwoo blinks at her, peers around at their group of friends, and looks back at Jeonghan.

"Uh. Yeah."

Jeonghan blinks once, twice, mouth ajar.

"Whoa. Weird," she finally decides, loping ahead to bother Seokmin and leaving Wonwoo trailing behind the rest of them. She's okay with that; in all honesty, big crowds have never been her thing, even if it's a big crowd of nice (albeit strange) people.

"I vote that we get food before anything.” Vernon stretches skinny arms over his head, his t-shirt rising up to expose a pale tummy, which Seungkwan pinches, earning an unattractive squeal-grunt from Vernon.

"For once, I agree with the white. Let's get food." Minghao tugs on the sleeve of Mingyu's flannel until he slips it off with a sigh and hands it to her, left in a loose black tank top. Minghao's completely swallowed by the fabric, shaking the sleeves at Mingyu until he rolls them up for her as well.

"It's like, a billion degrees out, are you wearing Mingyu's clothes to get warm or just to prove a point by now?" Jihoon asks. Jeonghan gently whacks him on the arm.

"Don't be rude, Minghao's a snake, it's harder for reptiles to stay warm."

Seungcheol snorts, covering her mouth, and Jeonghan counters Minghao's glare with a grin.

"You walked yourself into that one without even saying anything, Hao. It's like magic." Jeonghan holds her hands up, wiggling her fingers. Minghao raises her middle finger, waving it around Jeonghan's face. The elder swats Minghao's hand away, laughing.

Joshua hangs back a bit until Wonwoo catches up, a small smile on his face.

"They don't mean to exclude, it's just difficult to give so many people all your attention at once," he explains.

"I wasn't feeling left out, but thanks." Wonwoo shrugs, checking her phone.

  
_(one (1) new message)_

 **amara❂:** _how's south carolina so far ?!!!!_

  
Wonwoo smiles to herself, glancing up to make sure she's still following the others (and not in danger of walking into a decorative plant) before typing a response.

  
**wonuuU:** _its Weird lmao i think i'm in the process of being hazed into a weird teenage cult_

 **amara❂:** _pfffft that sounds fun_

 **wonuuU:** _totes Oh god theyre bothering me again i gotta go ily fruit crepe_

 **amara❂:** _love you too jeon wonwoo_

  
"What are you smiling so big at?" Jeonghan nudges Wonwoo, smirking.

"Ask your mom." Wonwoo shoves her phone back into her pocket, blinking down at Jeonghan.

"Good one." the elder rolls her eyes. Wonwoo grins, "It's a classic."

"The worst," Jeonghan mutters, shaking her head. Wonwoo chuckles, pushing her hair off of her forehead.

"Trump's gonna send you UFO's back to where you came from!"

The shout makes them all freeze.

"UFO?" Wonwoo laughs slightly.

"Ugly Fucking Orientals. You have to give them points for creativity," Jeonghan mutters, glaring at the group of white boys headed their way. Wonwoo doesn't miss how Mingyu pushes Minghao further behind him, the way Vernon steps in front of Seungkwan, how Jihoon tightens his grip on Junhui's hand.

"Just keep walking," Seungcheol mumbles, keeping her head down. Wonwoo clenches her jaw, keeping her gaze ahead. She pretends not to see Vernon vibrating with anger. She pretends to not be scared of the boys jeering at them.

  
They take up three tables in the food court. Wonwoo doesn't care that much. Vernon, Seungkwan, Minghao, and Mingyu go to the Panda Express, Junhui and Jihoon go to get pizza, and Seungcheol trails after Seokmin and Jeonghan to the Subway. Chan accompanies Joshua and Wonwoo to Dairy Queen, which Joshua calls "an absolute disgrace to mankind" even as he's shoving spoonfuls of Oreo blizzard into his mouth. Wonwoo sips her own strawberry shake and Chan takes tentative bites of his hot fudge sundae (paid for by Josh, in spite of his protests).

"Ice cream is not actual food, guys." Junhui remarks, taking a bite of her pizza upon their return.

"They only show us one side of the food pyramid, who says ice cream isn't its own group entirely?" Chan sits down beside Seokmin.

"Soonyung is rubbing off on you." Jihoon mutters, shaking his head. Chan just shoots a toothy grin in the elder's direction.

 

When they get back to Crossandra Avenue, there's a middle-aged woman waiting at the end of the street, arms crossed and hip cocked.

"Oooh, Helene looks mad.” Mingyu snorts. Jeonghan hits him, sighing.

"Let me out here," she says to Wonwoo, who stops, unlocking the doors so Jeonghan can get out.

"Where have you been?" her mother asks curtly, and Jeonghan rolls her eyes, tossing her hair off her shoulder.

"I told you where I was going, to the mall with friends."

"You didn't tell me you were going with boys," her mother gestures towards Wonwoo's open window, and Wonwoo widens her eyes.

"Again?" she mumbles.

"Mom, that's a girl, are you fucking blind?" Jeonghan laughs.

"Yikes, this is where I keep driving," Wonwoo mumbles, waving to Jeonghan before pulling away from the sidewalk.

Jeonghan and her mother are still arguing as they walk back to their house, and everyone pointedly avoids looking.

"Jeonghan's got a lot of mommy and daddy issues," Minghao mumbles to Wonwoo as they all get out of the car.

"I figured. Do I look that much like a boy?" Wonwoo frowns.

"Uh..no! Nah, not...really," Minghao answers, unconvincingly.

"Yeah, you do." Mingyu steals his flannel back from Minghao, shrugging at Wonwoo.

"I appreciate the honesty," Wonwoo utters, watching Minghao's skirt swish around her thighs, Seungkwan's dyed-blonde hair brush her shoulders, Seungcheol's long eyelashes flutter.

"Don't feel too bad about it. You're still cute," Chan reassures before he jogs back to his house.

"Thanks for mall. Here's gas money." Seokmin takes a few bills out of his wallet. "Sorry I don't have more."

"Nah, it's cool. Thanks," Wonwoo sighs. "Later."

She watches everyone walk home before finally walking into her own house.

"Have fun?" her mom asks, seated on the couch sorting through old photos.

"Why can't I just be like other girls?" Wonwoo kicks off her shoes, crawling onto the couch and leaning her head on her mother's chest.

"Why would you want to be?" is the answer she gets. A gentle hand rubs her back, then moves up to play with her hair.

"To fit in." Wonwoo shrugs, looking upwards as tears threaten at the corners of her eyes.

"I understand how hard it is, trying to be yourself when you're young, peanut, but no one would want you any other way, alright? Think about how weird a Wonwoo with long hair, wearing skirts and colors other than black, would be."

Wonwoo laughs weakly, nodding. The tears still fall. Her mother tilts her chin up, using the pads of her thumbs to gently wipe Wonwoo's cheeks dry.

"You're you. You don't have to change to fit in or justify your existence in this world, baby."

Wonwoo nods, closing her eyes and letting herself forget how everything aches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Has anyone ever told you you're like a Twinkie?"

"Excuse me?" Jeonghan laughs, raising an eyebrow. She hops onto Vernon's handlebars and he starts pedaling towards the end of the street.

"Yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Kinda fake, but that's why everyone likes you."

"Should I be insulted?"

"Nah. I'm thinking about getting Kendrick Lamar tickets, he's coming to Myrtle Beach," Vernon cuts across the front of the neighborhood, turning down the street that'll take them to the path to the gas station.

"Tickets, like plural? Gonna take someone? Seungkwan?" Jeonghan smiles. Vernon swerves slightly, almost crashing into a mailbox.

"Why do you say it like that?" his voice cracks an octave higher, and Jeonghan snickers.

"You like Seungkwan, don't you?"

"Not that way," Vernon laughs. The tips of his ears are pink. Jeonghan decides to drop it for his sake, "Oh, okay. Never mind then."

Mingyu, Minghao, Seungkwan, and Seungcheol (or, as Vernon says, Ming and Seung squared) are waiting at the gas station, sipping cold bottles of Coke and sharing a bag of salt and vinegar chips.

"Where's everyone?" Jeonghan asks, frowning.

"Soonyoung's grounded, Chan's babysitting his siblings, Josh had some family church thing, I think Seokmin's grocery shopping with his dad, Junhui and Jihoon are at Junhui's doing something hetero probably, and I went to ask if Wonwoo wanted to come, but her mom answered the door and said she wasn't feeling well," Seungcheol lists them all off, crossing her legs.

Jeonghan pulls a face, hopping off of Vernon's handlebars and placing herself in Seungcheol's lap.

"Oh. Hi," Seungcheol looks up at Jeonghan with those big doe eyes, pink painting itself across her nose and cheeks.

"Hey," Jeonghan takes Seungcheol's Coke, stealing a sip and handing the bottle back to Seungcheol.

"We could go harass Chan," Vernon suggests.

"That's always a fun pastime," Minghao mumbles without looking up from her phone.

"True," Seungkwan chimes, showing Vernon something on her own phone screen with a smile. He giggles dumbly, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

"You're all. Honestly so boring." Jeonghan plays with the ends of Seungcheol's hair.

"Someone who sits down while playing Wii Sports doesn't get to tell me that I'm boring." Mingyu glances up at her as Minghao's taking a sip of her drink, which she immediately spits out in laughter.

Jeonghan presses her lips into a thin line, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly. "Mingyu, you think giving smelly animals baths is fun. You're boring."

"Uh, because I _love_ those animals."

"Guys, be nice," Seungcheol speaks up, exasperated.

"I vote that we go bother Chan," Vernon announces, leaning his forearms on the handlebars of his bike.

"Yeah, let's do that, I don't feel like getting roasted by the lamppost anymore," Jeonghan stands, adjusting her shorts. She might not notice Seungcheol watching with that blush still splashed across her cheeks, but everyone else does, and they pretend not to.

The ride back to the neighborhood is slower than before, because Vernon has to keep a pace that matches that of the four that are walking.

"Hey!" Jeonghan exclaims suddenly.

"What?" Minghao rolls her eyes.

"I just got excited because the tall one left her house. Wonwoo!" Jeonghan waves.

Wonwoo looks up from the mail she's retrieving from her mailbox, blinking a couple times at Jeonghan. She squints, like she's unsure of who she's seeing.

"What's with the mean mug?" Jeonghan teases, hopping off of Vernon's handlebars and jogging over to the taller girl.

"I'm not glaring at you, I'm just not wearing my contacts." Wonwoo stretches her arms over her head. Her loose tank top rides up slightly, showing the sharp jut of her hipbones and a wispy, barely-there trail of fuzz leading downwards from her belly button.

"Thanks for the clarification. Seungcheol said you weren't feeling well," Jeonghan pouts slightly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Oh, yeah, that was just an excuse to sleep instead of hanging out with you guys earlier. I'm free now," Wonwoo yawns, pushing her hair off of her forehead.

"Sweet. We're gonna go bother Chan, if that sounds like a fun time."

"I don't remember which one that is, but I'll get there. Sure. Let me go get dressed," Wonwoo yawns a second time as she turns around, walking back inside her house.

"You remember that girl has a girlfriend, right?" Minghao asks, walking up and nudging Jeonghan's shoulder with her own.

"What's your point?" Jeonghan raises an eyebrow.

"You're flirting, that whole thing was like Flirt City on your end, you realize that, right?" Minghao cocks a hip. "You also, like, totally checked her out when she was stretching."

"Did I? Fuck." Jeonghan sucks her teeth. Minghao shrugs.

"Was it working, at least?"

"No." Minghao answers bluntly, examining her chipping acrylic nails. "Ugh. I need a new set."

Jeonghan's answer is lost to the sound of Wonwoo's front door opening. She walks out in her usual attire of black skinny jeans and a tie-dyed t-shirt several sizes too large, her black hoodie half-on and high tops not even tied.

"Sup," she greets the others, smiling lazily.

"Hey," Seungcheol grins and waves back.

"Ugh. I wish Soon wasn't grounded," Vernon complains as they walk across the street to Chan's house.

"Why? So you guys can do dumb stuff that could end in potential injury?" Minghao asks, crinkling her nose.

"Precisely," Vernon leaves his bike on its side in Chan's front yard, loping up to the front door and ringing the bell.

By the time Wonwoo's wrestled her hoodie over her head, Chan has answered the door, using one leg to keep back two small, barking dogs while a wide-eyed toddler clings to the other leg.

"We thought you'd want some company." Vernon grins. Chan stares at him for a second.

"If you're crashing here, you get to help with the kids." Chan finally grumbles, picking up his little brother and balancing the kid on his hip as he turns and walks back into the house.

"Wonwoo, if one of the dogs bites, just punt it across the room," Chan advises.

"Do not punt the dog," Mingyu chimes sternly. "They're angry because you don't give them any love, Chan."

"If they were less annoying and dumb I would," is Chan's answer. "Also, Wonwoo, there's toys everywhere, try not to faceplant into any Legos."

"Gotcha," Wonwoo nods. A little girl maybe ten years old runs past, chased by a third brother about the same age.

"Chan! Tell him to stop!" she screeches, hiding behind Chan.

"Hold this," Chan hands the infant off to the nearest person (it turns out to be Seungcheol) before pushing the two kids apart, kneeling down to their height.

Chan flicks both siblings on the ear, brow furrowed, "What did Mom say about fighting? Stop giving me more to worry about, you're old enough to have some sense! I can't watch you guys and the baby at the same time!"

Pouting, his younger siblings nod and scatter. Chan stands back up snd takes the baby from Seungcheol, "Sorry 'bout that."

"No worries," Jeonghan answers. "You're grumpy today, aren't you?"

"He's not used to being separated from Soonyoung for longer than however long they sleep." Minghao shrugs her shoulders, hopping over the back of the couch and stretching out on the worn leather. Chan doesn't answer, simply walking to the kitchen. Jeonghan rolls her eyes, pulling a face before following their youngest friend.

"I forget how moody you are when you don't get to see Soon, gosh." she sits on the counter, watching Chan place the baby in a high chair.

"It could also be that I'm essentially raising my parents' children for them without even so much as a ' _thank you_ ', but you know." Chan grabs a box of Cheerios from the pantry, "Pass me a bowl."

Jeonghan takes one from the cabinet behind her, tossing the plastic bowl to Chan, who catches it and fills it a quarter of the way with the cereal before setting the bowl on the plastic tray connected to his youngest brother's chair.

"Do _not_ throw it," he asserts sternly to the infant, who in response chucks the entire bowl at Chan.

If you've never seen true defeat, I'll describe it to you: Chan Lee, fifteen years old, wearing his shirt backwards and completely unaware of it, Cheerios in his hair.

"I'll. Be back. In a minute."

Chan walks out of the kitchen, and Seungcheol takes the initiative to sweep up the spilled cereal, setting the empty bowl in the sink.

"You just cause so much trouble, don't you?" she coos at Chan's little brother, who giggles and claps his hands together.

"Add....all of this," Jeonghan flaps her hands vaguely, "to the list of reasons I'm never having kids."

"Honestly, I wouldn't want you procreating anyways," Vernon mumbles, earning a half-snort from Seungkwan.

"That's fair." Jeonghan nods her head, swinging her legs.

Chan returns, hair free of Cheerios and eyes slightly red.

"He's not even allowed to have his phone. We haven't talked or seen each other at all since he came to tell us he was grounded." Chan takes his brother out of the high chair. "Okay, pest, naptime for you."

"Thanks for cleaning up," Chan says over his shoulder as he carries his brother out of the kitchen and down the hall to his room.

"No problem!" Seungcheol replies brightly.

 

"Do you miss home?"

"Kind of a loaded question."

Wonwoo glances up from her cold pizza to raise an eyebrow at her mother.

"Just answer the question so I'm reassured that I'm not the only one, Mom."

"Fine, yes. I miss home. But–"

"–this is better for both of us, I know. I understand." Wonwoo nods her head.

"Something wrong? You settling in poorly?" her mother queries curiously.

"Not..exactly. It's just. Different." Wonwoo tilts her head to the side slightly. "I miss her."

"I know you do, sweetheart."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Vernon and Seungkwan, sitting in a tree! _K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_ First comes love, then–"

"Sofia, I swear to God I will leave you at a fire station in the middle of nowhere," Vernon threatens his younger sister as she rides past on her bike. Sofia sticks her tongue out, giggling. Seungkwan's cheeks are red, but she laughs quietly.

"You spoil her and then wonder why she doesn't take you seriously." Seungkwan elbows Vernon, watching Sofia circle back around at the end of the street. At that moment, the ice cream truck turns down the other end of the street, its automated music growing louder. Sofia pedals up to them, pouting at Vernon until he pats his pockets for his wallet, handing her a couple crumpled bills.

"Brat," Vernon calls after his younger sister as she goes to meet the truck. Sofia shoots him a grin in response.

"Spoiled," whispers Seungkwan. Vernon pokes her side.

"Like you?" Vernon teases, continuing his assault on Seungkwan's sides as she giggles and swats at his hands.

"What's this hetero shit?" Soonyoung scoffs at them as he rolls past on his skateboard, snatching Vernon's beanie off his head. "This is mine, you damn Caucasian."

"You're free!" Vernon exclaims, hair standing up everywhere. Seungkwan snorts quietly, reaching up to pat it down.

"Yeah, the White Man said I learned my lesson or whatever." Soonyoung puts down his foot to stop, grinning crookedly.

"Can I have my-slash-your hat back?" Vernon reaches out, making grabby hands.

"I've been searching for this for, like, two months!" Soonyoung complains.

"You left it at my house!" Vernon whines. Rolling his eyes, Soonyoung hands the beanie back over, adjusting the cap he has on backwards, flattening his inky hair.

"Where's all the damn straights?" Soonyoung looks around.

"All around us. This entire neighborhood is heterosexual hell." Is Seungkwan's dry response.

"Right on. Let me rephrase that: where are _my_ damn straights?"

"What about your boyfriend?" Vernon raises an eyebrow.

"What about him?"

"He's such a moody little fuck, gosh." Seungkwan rolls her eyes, twirling a strand of honey-blonde hair around her finger.

"I've got it covered, mind your hetero business."

Seungkwan snorts quietly, and Vernon mumbles, nodding, "Fair enough."

"Holy shit! It's that dude, my boy, that dude boy is free!"

"Mingyu! Oh my God, I missed your dumb string bean ass." Soonyoung hugs Mingyu, ruffling the taller boy's hair fondly.

"Never mind, I hope you get grounded again.” Mingyu pouts, crossing his arms.

"Nope. You love me. Everything I do is just a ploy to get to you, Mingyu. It's not too late for us, you know we have chemistry–"

Soonyoung's in the middle of making kissy noises at Mingyu, who is pushing his face away in return, when Chan leaves his house, eyes glued to his phone screen.

"This generation and their damn phones," remarks Soonyoung sarcastically, jogging across the street to meet his boyfriend on the sidewalk.

Chan is just putting his earbuds in when Soonyoung leans down to murmur, "Hey."

The younger glances up, doing a double take before he lets out a little cry of surprise and throws his arms around Soonyoung's neck, phone and music forgotten.

"Hi, babe," Soonyoung laughs, cheeks pink as he winds his arms around Chan's middle and sways them back and forth slightly.

Minghao, who had followed Mingyu out, pretends to stick a finger down her throat, making a gagging noise.

"Don't be rude, they're cute." Seungkwan waves a dismissive hand. Minghao rolls her eyes.

"I call you babe all the time." Mingyu raises an eyebrow. Minghao kicks him in the back of the knee, and Mingyu yelps, nearly falling on his face.

"Now that's just rude," he whines.

"You heard that too, right?" Vernon asks Seungkwan in an undertone.

"Yeah," she murmurs back, a skeptical expression on her face.

"Secrets don't make friends, guys," Soonyoung remarks as he walks back over, one arm slung around Chan's shoulders.

"You're not my friend." Vernon blinks at Soonyoung.

"Wow. Hurt and confused."

"I wasn't finished. You're not my friend, you are...my sweet, _sweet_ lover," Vernon grabs Soonyoung's face, pressing a noisy kiss to the elder's cheek.

"Ew, _eeeeew_!" Soonyoung slaps furiously at whatever part of Vernon he can reach before using his shirt to scrub his cheek clean. "I have hetero on me!"

Chan snorts, leaning up to kiss Soonyoung's other cheek. Soonyoung's eyes become crescent moons as he grins, pulling Chan in for a real kiss.

"Stop corrupting that child whom I literally birthed. He's a pure lamb." Jeonghan lopes over, knocking Soonyoung's hat off of his head.

Soonyoung cackles quietly, leaning down to pick the cap back up. "I'll let you think that, Jeonghan."

"Are implying that you've ruined Chan's milky white innocence? Don't talk to me or my son ever again." Jeonghan places a hand over her heart.

"It was never milky white, I'd say it was, like...soy milk." Chan shrugs his shoulders. Jeonghan makes a miffed noise, looking truly scandalized, while Vernon and Mingyu guffaw quietly and Seungkwan stares at Chan in shock. Minghao couldn't care less, occupied with a part of her bangs that won't lie flat.

"Wow. I have gathered more about you two from this conversation than I ever wished to. Anyways, glad you're free, Soon." Jeonghan tosses her hair off her shoulders, scuffing her sandals against the sidewalk.

Soonyoung just does the 'rock on' sign with his hand, too preoccupied with Chan to pay much more attention to anything else.

"Three weeks was way too long. No one else is willing to get hurt in the name of fun with me," Vernon gripes, rolling his eyes.

"You all don't know how to live," Soonyoung shakes his head, sighing in disappointment.

"I have never broken a bone, and I am keeping that streak alive, thank you very much." Minghao crosses her arms.

"That's because you make people do everything for you." Vernon blinks at the red-haired girl.

"Cor- _rect_." Minghao grins, winking at Vernon. He shakes his head, looking at Seungkwan for help.

"I mean. If I could make other people do everything for me, I absolutely would. But I'm not cute enough." Seungkwan shrugs.

"You're bossy enough," Vernon laughs, taking out his phone. "Ugh. Alexis from Bio last year keeps trying to start a streak with me."

"Ew! Block that bitch," remarks Minghao at the same time as Seungkwan slaps Vernon on the arm, exclaiming, "I am not bossy!"

"Stop shouting at me!" Vernon whines.

"Why are we shouting at Vernon?" Jihoon asks as he and Junhui approach hand-in-hand.

"How did she even get your Snapchat?" Seungkwan asks, leaning into the frame for Vernon's picture anyways, chin resting on his shoulder.

"Minghao wrote it in her yearbook," Vernon narrows his eyes at Minghao, who examines her nails.

"Do not recall."

Vernon sighs, sending the snap of him and Seungkwan to the girl in question all the same.

"Ah, sophomore year. What a time." Junhui says, a fond smile on her face.

"It wasn't even that long ago for you," Mingyu points out.

"Don't talk to me, I'm a senior."

"I'm not even an underclassman–"

"Yeah, harass Chan, he's a sophomore now," Vernon teases, earning a glare from both Chan and Soonyoung.

"Elementary, all of you," scoffs Seungcheol as she approaches, in her usual attire of compression shorts and a tank top, a pair of worn Birkenstocks on her feet.

"Don't act high and mighty because you've graduated! You aren't even eighteen yet!" Jihoon argues, laughing.

"I was just a late baby, leave me alone!" Seungcheol crosses her arms.

"Me too," Jeonghan chimes. "And Joshua, wherever he is."

"Poor Josh. He has to wait 'till December to move out," Seungcheol shudders, shaking her head.

"What are we talking about?" Seokmin asks, rolling up on his bike.

"Your boyfriend." Minghao answers coolly, leaning on Mingyu.

"My boyf–what? I don't have a boyfriend," Seokmin laughs nervously.

"Right, Josh took you to senior ball because you're such good _bros_." Jeonghan raises an eyebrow.

"This tea is scalding," Seungcheol sips from an imaginary teacup, sharing a knowing look with Jeonghan.

"Shut up," Seokmin groans. "We're just friends."

"Yeah, and I'm straight." Seungcheol rolls her eyes.

"You're not straight?" Vernon asks. When Seungcheol glares, he holds his hands up.

"It was a joke! You're very gay! Gosh!"

" _I'm_ very gay." Wonwoo strolls over, hands in her hoodie pockets.

"You are going to roast." Jeonghan remarks, looking Wonwoo up and down.

"My entire existence is worthy of roasting."

"Nice evasion, lose the sweatshirt before you faint, Jesus."

"My name's Wonwoo."

"I am going to dropkick you."

Wonwoo just laughs, "Sure, whatever. I'm still not taking it off."

"Fine, get heat stroke, I'll say I told you so."

"I know you will, Jeonghan." Wonwoo chuckles.

"What's this?" Seokmin asks curiously, pointing to Wonwoo's head.

"My hair?"

"No, by your ear," he peers closer. "Is that a tattoo?"

"Maybe," Wonwoo subconsciously brushes her fingers over the words inked behind her left ear, shrugging.

"What does it say?" Seokmin tilts his head to side.

"You have a tattoo?" Jeonghan asks incredulously.

"Yeah, uh. A few." Wonwoo shrugs. "It doesn't really say anything important, it's my parents' names in Hangul.”

"Ew, you're one of those people?" Jeonghan wrinkles her nose.

"I'm not sure what exactly you mean by that but I grew up speaking the language, so it's mine to do whatever the fuck I want with." Wonwoo quirks her upper lip slightly. Jeonghan holds her hands up innocently, looking the tiniest bit miffed.

"How many tattoos does 'a few' entail?" Mingyu asks, tilting his head to the side.

"Uh...twenty? No, twenty-three, I counted the other day," Wonwoo waves her hand slightly.

"Twenty...twenty-three tattoos." Mingyu blinks at her.

"You're like, sixteen, where are you even getting them done?" Jeonghan laughs.

"A fake ID does wonders, my friend. Besides, where I used to live there were bigger things to worry about than a teenager getting tattooed." Wonwoo chuckles.

"How didn't we notice any of them?"

"Eh, well, most of them are pretty small. Except for my newest ones. Also, you're all about as observant as a brick wall," Wonwoo messes with the strings on her hoodie.

"I mean. Fair enough," Soonyoung nods.

"What about your mom? Mine would literally. Destroy me if I did that." Vernon adds, looking incredulous.

"She had a full sleeve by the time she was eighteen, she doesn't get to tell me anything about that," Wonwoo laughs. Her phone chimes at that moment and she removes it from her pocket, looking at the screen for a second. Her brows push together slightly but she smooths her expression out just as quickly, looking back up.

"Oh, uh, I gotta go. My mom wants me. See you guys..later." Wonwoo backs up, turning on her heel and loping to her house.

 

Wonwoo's been lying in bed, rereading the message for an hour now.

 **amara❂:** _i don't know how well i can handle this being long distance. you're too far and i don't see the point. i'm sorry_

Oh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wonwoo's been lying in bed for two days.

"Honey.." her mother's voice, sweet like the pet name she's always called Wonwoo, fills the stale space of her room.

Wonwoo grunts. She knows it's stupid to get this upset. No relationship lasts forever, and some don't even last a year.

"Wonwoo. Sweeheart." Sterner this time. Wonwoo feels her bed dip under her mother's weight. One hand passes over her face, fingers carding gently through her hair. Wonwoo catches a glimpse of her name, her birth date, tattooed over faint scars on her mother's forearm.

"You stink. Get up, take a shower. I know it's hard. I'll change your sheets and blankets and you can go back to wallowing if you must."

Wonwoo makes a faint whining noise, curling up tighter.

"Don't let her drag you down. The only person you need is yourself, honey. The world is still turning. Besides, you're also not allowed to let me keep telling your weird friends you're sick."

That earns the faintest of smiles from Wonwoo.

"They are kinda weird." She takes her mother's hand, running her forefinger over the faded, cartoonish rainbow tattooed on the pink skin of her mother's palm, the rainbow that matches the one on Wonwoo's palm.

"They're very weird. Come on, get up."

Wonwoo sighs, sitting up slowly. "Know that I am not happy about this at all."

"You don't have to be happy about it, you just have to want to live." Her mother kisses Wonwoo's forehead before she leaves the room.

Wonwoo rolls out of bed, dragging herself to her closet to grab clean clothes, yanking her towel off the hook on the back of her door.

"I live in here now." Wonwoo decides once she's under the hot stream of water.

 

"Oh my God, you're alive!" Seungcheol jumps up from the sidewalk, throwing her arms around Wonwoo. A little taken aback, Wonwoo hugs the shorter girl back tentatively.

"Yeah, I'm alive," Wonwoo laughs quietly, whisking Seungcheol out of the way of Vernon's bike, which rolls past with no Vernon to be spoken for.

"Oh, man.." Joshua places a hand over his heart, looking at the heap that is Vernon and Soonyoung up the street from his spot on the curb.

"What were they trying to do now?" Seungcheol pulls back from Wonwoo, squinting at them.

"God knows," Josh shakes his head, sighing.

"Are you dead?" Minghao shouts, standing over Vernon and Soonyoung and nudging them with her toe.

"Unfortunately," Soonyoung wheezes, pulling himself free from a tangle of groaning Vernon, "no."

"What did you do?" Seokmin asks, wide eyed.

"Next time I think I can be a legend, one of you guys remind me that I'm a half-white teenage boy in a South Carolinian suburb," Vernon moans painfully

"I remind you of that anyways, white boy." Jeonghan rolls up on her longboard, more of her sun-browned skin on display than not thanks to her tiny cutoff denim shorts and cropped spaghetti-strap top, red bra showing faintly through the thin white fabric. Vernon can only groan.

"How does one tell if their kneecap has been dislocated?" Soonyoung shakes his leg experimentally.

"I'm pretty sure I slipped a disc," Vernon remarks as Mingyu pulls him up by the scruff of his neck, gently dusting gravel off his clothes.

"You're fine, kid." Mingyu claps Vernon on the back.

"Well, if I did slip a disc, it's back where it belongs now," Vernon grunts.

"You're welcome."

"You're both idiots," Chan sighs, cradling Soonyoung's face in his hands as he looks the elder up and down, checking for visible injuries.

"Thanks.” Soonyoung grins.

Wonwoo follows behind Seungcheol silently as they approach the others, her hands shoved in the pocket of her sweatshirt as usual. It's at least ninety degrees out, and she can feel sweat beading on the back on her neck, but she'd rather just be hot than take it off.

"Holy shit, you!" Jeonghan laughs upon noticing Wonwoo, stepping off her board to give the taller a one-armed hug. "We thought you died."

"Nope. I'm alive." Wonwoo forces a smile.

"Again, you're gonna get heatstroke wearing this." Jeonghan plucks at the fabric of Wonwoo's sweatshirt. "South Carolina heat is different from California heat."

"Really? Feels the same to me." Wonwoo raises an eyebrow. Jeonghan gives her a Look.

"I'm not taking it off," Wonwoo chuckles, shaking her head.

"Ugh, fine, whatever, suit yourself." Jeonghan rolls her eyes. Wonwoo smiles triumphantly, following the elder back over to where everyone else has gathered.

"You guys really are dumbasses," Joshua murmurs, shaking his head.

"At least I'm a dumbass with strong bones," Soonyoung grunts, stretching his limbs out one by one.

"Miraculously, I've broken way less bones since Soon started doing dumb stuff with me." Vernon sits down on the sidewalk, squinting from the sunlight.

"Because he cushions your falls," Chan replies, loosely hooking his arms around Soonyoung's middle and leaning on the elder. Soonyoung presses a small kiss to the top of Chan's head.

"You got me there," Vernon laughs, his smile widening as Seungkwan leaves her house, a popsicle in hand.

"Lemme see your phone for a sec." she jogs over, shooting Vernon an innocent smile.

"Why..?" Vernon asks suspiciously even as he's withdrawing his cell from his pocket, holding it out to Seungkwan.

"Alexis from Bio last year snapped me talking about how she thinks you guys might hook up," Seungkwan snorts, handing Vernon her popsicle in exchange for the phone.

After a brief moment of gagging, Vernon raises an eyebrow at Seungkwan. "Since when does keeping a streak equal _'I wanna fuck you'_?"

"I told her you don't fuck with white girls. She said she was three-eighths Irish so she technically wasn't white." Seungkwan snorts, unadding the girl in question from Vernon's contacts.

"Two plus two equals five? What even?" Vernon laughs.

"She also said that's racist of you because you're half white." Seungkwan giggles, handing Vernon his phone back.

"What did you do? Also, that is _not_ correct." Vernon barely glances at his screen, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Blocked her. She was blowing your shit up, good thing you hadn't opened any of them," Seungkwan laughs.

"White people are fucking crazy," Vernon rolls his eyes, handing Seungkwan her popsicle back.

"Right on," Seungkwan chuckles, "she tried to tell me I was jealous. I was like, sis, you couldn't pay me all the money in the world to get with Vernon."

"I mean, I don't blame you."

 

"So, where have you been?" Junhui asks Wonwoo as they take a seat at one of the shaded tables by the pool.

"Home. Sick," Wonwoo shrugs, pulling her knees up to her chest. She's wearing her bathing suit, but chooses to stay out of the water, wrapped in a towel.

"Come on, no one's buying that." Junhui raises an eyebrow as she gathers her honey-colored hair into a bun.

"Well, literally. I was just homesick." Wonwoo shrugs, leaning her chin on the tops of her knees.

"You can say you just didn't want to hang out with us, you know," Junhui chuckles, stretching her long legs out in front of her.

"Nah, I like you guys, I was just..burnt out. There's a lot happening." Wonwoo mumbles, eyes on Mingyu and Minghao playing chicken with Vernon and Seungkwan. ("Get out of the deep end, Mingyu, you have an unfair advantage!")

"I feel you." Junhui looks over at the other girl. Wonwoo glances at Junhui from the corner of her eye.

"What's that?" Junhui asks curiously, pointing to Wonwoo's right leg. Wonwoo hums, stretching it out and examining the little green vine she has tattooed winding around her ankle.

"That was one of the tattoos I got not long before I moved here, actually," she mumbles. "I have a few on this leg."

"Can I see?" Junhui smiles.

"Yeah, sure." Wonwoo shrugs, so Junhui pulls her chair around the table.

"I think tattoos are so pretty, but I have the worst pain tolerance, I couldn't do it. I don't even have my ears pierced," she giggles as Wonwoo stretches, catlike, and rests her legs on Junhui's lap.

"Eh, only the big ones hurt really bad." Wonwoo shrugs as Junhui traces her fingertip over the little rainbow on the top of Wonwoo's right foot.

"Like that one?" Junhui points to the tattoo spanning at least six inches of Wonwoo's left thigh.

"Yeah, that one. And this one," Wonwoo shrugs her towel off, showing a watercolor tattoo that stretches from her right shoulder onto her back, all the colors of the rainbow melded together carefully. Junhui winces.

"They're pretty, though. You got those since you moved here, didn't you? I definitely would've noticed those last time we went to the pool."

"Yeah," Wonwoo chuckles. She traces the pride flag on her thigh, "This one's my favorite. It's the original pride flag, it had turquoise and fuchsia along with all the other colors."

"I like it." Junhui smiles. "That's three rainbows I've counted so far, also."

"Four." Wonwoo holds up her left hand, showing the one on her palm. "I have six total, the other two are hidden."

"That's super gay," Junhui snorts.

"I'm super gay." Wonwoo shrugs, the corners of her mouth quirking upwards. "I also have 'fuck off' on the back of my left knee, but showing you that one requires standing up or flexibility I don't have, so. Trust me. It's there."

"Okay," giggles Junhui, nodding her head. "Why do you have a bee?"

She taps Wonwoo's right knee, and the dark-haired girl starts chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Junhui queries suspiciously.

"The bee's knees," Wonwoo answers, still giggling quietly.

Junhui's jaw slacks, and she gently pushes Wonwoo's legs off her lap.

"Unbelievable."

"Un.... _bee_ -lievable?" Wonwoo asks, a grin spreading across her face.

"Oh my God, bye." Junhui scoots her chair back, and Wonwoo giggles, pulling her knees back up to her chest.

"Why do you look so offended?" Jihoon walks over, hair dripping, cheeks red.

"Did you forget sunscreen?" Junhui groans, reaching into her towel bag and taking out a tube of sun lotion, "Also, I'm offended because Wonwoo made a terrible pun."

"Doooon't, it burns," Jihoon whines as Junhui slathers the cream onto his face.

"Well you should've remembered to put it on in the first place, dummy." Junhui rolls her eyes. "You know you burn easily, 'Hoonie."

"Yeah, yeah," Jihoon grumbles, glancing over at Wonwoo, who has retreated back into her towel, staring ahead with distant eyes. "I was gonna ask what joke she made that was so bad but she kinda looks like her soul just left her body."

"I think she's having a weird day." Junhui answers, pulling Jihoon into her lap and resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Fair enough."

 

 **amara:** _hello?_

 **amara:** _are you gonna say something?_

 **wonwoo:** _yeah_

 **wonwoo:** _delete my number_

  
Wonwoo sighs. She hadn't really wanted it to go this way, but it was probably for the better. She sighs as she goes to Amara's contact information.

_Are you sure you want to block this caller?_

Yep. Positive.

_Blocking **@amara_j** will disable this user from viewing your Instagram account._

Mhm.

_Are you sure you want to block amara - 97_aj?_

Totally, Snapchat.

Wonwoo heaves another loud sigh as she finally turns off her phone and sets it on her bedside table, the ringer off, airplane mode on, so no one will bother her.

"I know it's still early in the summer.." her mother leans into the room. "But there's a few different options for schools, I'm looking into them for enrolling you."

"It's my senior year. I'm not even going to be there half the time, it doesn't matter," Wonwoo mumbles, falling backwards until her head hits the pillow.

"Yes it does, you have to do well. You're going to turn out better than your parents, Wonwoo."

"I'm already doing that," Wonwoo chuckles bitterly. "If you haven't noticed, Mom, I'm not sixteen and pregnant."

Silence.

"I'm sorry. That was mean. I shouldn't have said that."

"It was. I'll leave you alone, come downstairs if you want to talk about it."

"Love you," Wonwoo mumbles, feeling tears at the corners of her eyes.

"I love you too, Peanut."

Her bedroom door closes. Wonwoo sighs, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyelids. She lets a few silent sobs escape her, biting her lip before they get worse.

"I'm really sorry, Mom. I know you're doing your best." Wonwoo steps, tentative, around the wall separating the staircase from the living room. She sniffles quietly, wiping her nose on her sweatshirt sleeve.

"Come here, baby," her mother murmurs, setting her laptop to the side and holding out her arms. Wonwoo crawls onto the couch, into her lap, and runs shaky fingers through her mom's hair.

"It's okay, my sweet girl. You're doing your best too."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I need your help with something."

"Huh?" Jihoon grumbles, squinting at the light his phone screen emits. "It's, like, one in the morning."

"I know, sorry, I'll make it up to you however you want. But I don't wanna do this alone."

"You're freaking me out." Jihoon slowly gets out of bed, pulling a sweater that originally belonged to Junhui on over his pajamas. He holds his phone between his shoulder and ear, looking around for shoes.

"Sorry, it's nothing bad. You just seemed like the only person who wouldn't ask a ton of questions." Wonwoo's voice cracks a little, so Jihoon sighs.

"Yeah, okay. I'm coming."

"Thanks, I'm outside my house." Wonwoo hangs up. Jihoon finally pulls on some shoes and sneaks downstairs. The TV is on, but his mother is passed out on the couch, a wine bottle half-empty on the coffee table. He tiptoes past, disabling the house alarm before slipping out the front door.

Two houses down, he can see the outline of Wonwoo, sitting in her driveway.

"You smoke?" Jihoon asks once he's close enough to see the cigarette hanging from Wonwoo's lips.

"Not usually." She shrugs, standing up. "It's a special occasion."

Wonwoo picks up a black trash bag that's leaning against the back tire of her car, throwing it over her shoulder and starting to walk without another word. Jihoon follows along silently, taking three steps for every one of Wonwoo's long strides.

They get to the large, open field that's hidden near the back of the neighborhood. Jihoon shoots Wonwoo a questioning look but she just holds up one finger, opening up the trash bag and dumping its contents onto the dew-coated grass.

Letters, notes, photographs, even a few shirts and one hoodie land in a pile.

"I didn't have anywhere to put a bottle of lighter fluid, so I just soaked everything once it was in the bag," Wonwoo shrugs her shoulders, taking a couple steps back before she flicks the half-finished cigarette into the pile. It's up in flames in seconds, and Wonwoo lets out this little sigh.

Jihoon looks over at her, then back at the pile. "Uh, you were right, I won't ask questions, but, like, if you wanna talk about it I'll keep it between us."

Wonwoo flicks her hair out of her eyes, chuckling bitterly.

"Uh, there was another girl. Before she even broke up with me. One of our friends just told me a while ago. Long distance is too much..bullshit. Love is bullshit." Wonwoo sniffs quietly, shaking her head.

Jihoon hadn't even known Wonwoo had a girlfriend, but _ouch_.

"Love is bullshit until you find the right person." Jihoon shrugs.

"Have you ever been cheated on? Love is definitely bullshit."

"You're right, I'm just trying to find the right thing to say here. Your dedication to being petty is admirable."

Wonwoo laughs, "If I was really being petty I'd unblock her just to send pictures and then block her again."

"I mean. Do it."

"Nah, I'll just post it on my Instagram. She likes to stalk from different accounts." Wonwoo takes out her phone. "Besides, this is more for me than it is for her."

Jihoon nods, "That's fair."

"Will you do the honors?" Wonwoo hands him her phone, opened to the camera. Jihoon grins, "Gladly."

Wonwoo bends down in front of the fire, which has dimmed just slightly, holding up both middle fingers and sticking out her tongue.

"Empowering," Jihoon comments as he takes the picture and hands Wonwoo her phone back.

"Still feels shitty. If I front that it doesn't for long enough I'll be okay though," Wonwoo shoves her phone into her pocket, and they stay there in silence until the fire is nothing more than glowing embers.

Wonwoo stamps them out with her shoe and kicks dirt over the pile of ashes for good measure before she and Jihoon walk back to Crossandra Avenue together.

"Thanks." Wonwoo glances over at Jihoon right before they part ways to go back into their respective and sleep off the scent of smoke.

"No problem." Jihoon manages a tired smile. Wonwoo returns it, and they both turn, going inside.

 

 

  
"Why do you look so tired?" Junhui gently ruffles Jihoon's hair.

He groans, reaching up to flatten it once more. "Insomniac night."

Junhui hums in understanding, nodding her head. Jihoon reaches over to take her hand, always comforted by the feeling of Junhui's fingers slotted between his.

"You look cute today!" Junhui looks over at Seungkwan, who blushes, self-consciously pulling down the hem of her yellow cropped top. It stops just above the waistband of her shorts, which are patterned in orange and black and made of a soft, loose fabric that swishes slightly around her thighs.

"I mean, you look cute every day, but. Yellow brings out your complexion really nicely," Junhui tosses her ponytail off her shoulder. "I'm really digging the blonde on you, too."

Seungkwan's cheeks vaguely resemble two small tomatoes. She manages a shy smile, looking down at the floor, "Thanks."

"No problem. Me 'n Minghao are gonna go get our nails done, I asked Jeonghan if she wanted to go but she's dragging Wonwoo and Seungcheol off for a haircut so if you wanna come with I'll pay." Junhui flashes her teeth in a wide grin, eyes bright.

"I guess," Seungkwan finally agrees, nodding.

"Sweet!" Junhui claps her hands together even though one of them is still linked with Jihoon's.

 

 

  
"Helene doesn't let me cut my hair." Jeonghan rolls her eyes. "Just split ends, never anything drastic."

"Your hair is so pretty, though. I couldn't manage hair that long," as if to prove her point, Seungcheol combs her fingers through her own shoulder-length waves.

"I don't have a choice," Jeonghan sighs impatiently, gathering all her hair together and pulling it over her shoulder, "it's not like my hair is thin, either, it's fucking heavy. Helene and her white people, straw thin, wispy hair having ass does not understand that, however."

Wonwoo snorts quietly. "Cut it anyways."

"Listen. That's not a choice for me. My parents are not the slightest bit chill, Miss I'm-Like-Sixteen-And-Have-Twenty-Three-Tattoos."

"Is that a Fall Out Boy song?" Wonwoo chuckles as they wander through the mall in search of the hair salon.

"Yeah, from their latest album titled Fuck You And Your Tall Ass."

Wonwoo throws her head back in laughter, nose crinkling up. "Haven't heard that one, any good?"

"The best." Jeonghan bites back her own smile, folding her arms. "Anyways, I have to live vicariously through you guys and your cute hair."

"This isn't cute, it's a mess." Wonwoo points to the mop of black waves on top of her head, raising her eyebrows.

"That's what's cute about it." Jeonghan shrugs. Wonwoo blinks once, twice, and stays quiet.

"I literally forget to brush this sometimes, explain how that's cute?" Seungcheol laughs from Jeonghan's other side.

"You're cute." Jeonghan answers simply, smiling. Seungcheol's cheeks redden.

 

 

"So when are you gonna ask Seungkwan out?" Soonyoung asks Vernon as they, joined by Chan, explore the Zumies for any good skater garb.

"What?" Vernon stands up too quickly, hitting his head on the shelf above him. He yelps, rubbing the sore spot while blushing furiously. "What do you mean, ask Seungkwan out?"

"I meant did you find the cure to cancer, what did you think I meant? No, dumbass, I mean when are you gonna ask her out?" Soonyoung bumps Vernon's shoulder with his own.

"We're just friends, Soon. Boys and girls can do that without wanting to date each other."

"You're preaching to the choir, bro. Is this your way of coming out, then? Because that's cool too." Soonyoung shrugs.

Vernon groans, "Soonyoung. No."

"Just making sure," Soonyoung giggles mischievously, carefully pulling a t-shirt in his size from a stack on the shelf in front of him.

"Wait. Do I want this or new trucks for my board?" Soonyoung mumbles to himself, looking truly torn.

"You already have that shirt, I borrowed it and now it's in a closet somewhere behind Joshua Hong. Get new trucks." Chan leans his chin on Soonyoung's shoulder.

"Stop stealing my clothes, you fuck!" Soonyoung folds the shirt back up daintily, setting it back in its pile.

"You're wearing my pants right now." Chan snaps the waistband of Soonyoung's joggers, kissing the elder's cheek before he walks away.

"You two...disgust me." Vernon gags.

"Don't hate, straight." Soonyoung shrugs, walking towards the back of the store. "Where did Mingyu and the elf and the other Gays go?"

"Starbucks! They're a bunch of white girls!" Vernon replies, voice carrying across the store.

"Figures!" Soonyoung calls back.

 

 

  
"Yes, Hao, you can totally have a sip of my drink, go ahead," drawls Mingyu sarcastically as Minghao takes his tea and sips on it.

"I know, thanks." Minghao hands him the cup back, grinning.

"Brat," Mingyu grumbles, shaking his head.

"I got you your usual." Jihoon hands Junhui a caramel frap. She smiles, kissing him on the cheek. "You're the best."

"I know."

"When will my man that doesn't exist ever?" Minghao shakes her head at them. Thankfully, she doesn't notice Mingyu mouthing ' _I'm right here what do you mean’_ behind her back.

"Relatable content," Wonwoo mutters, running a hand over the freshly buzzed underside of her hair.

"But you're a lesbian." Minghao narrows her eyes as if she's trying to figure out if Wonwoo's making fun of her or not.

"Holy, shit, I am? Oh God, everything looks like vaginas!" Wonwoo clutches her heart. Jeonghan snorts, covering her mouth. An older couple passing by stops to glare at Wonwoo. She straightens up, staring back at them, "Move along, my gay crisis is none of your business.” 

Seokmin almost spits his drink out, giggling quietly. Wonwoo turns back to them, clearing her throat and trying not to laugh, "Well, anyways."

"You look, uh, nice. Today." Vernon nudges Seungkwan, who glances over at him, eyes widening.

"Shut up, I look the same as always." Seungkwan flushes pink.

"Okay, let me never try to compliment you again," Vernon teases. Seungkwan shoves him gently, shaking her head.

"Oh my God, that's Abby from last year. Hide me," Jeonghan shoves Mingyu in front of her. The girl in question passes by them with a few friends following, offering a cool glance in their direction. Her gaze lingers on Seungkwan, and she turns back to her friends.

_"Some people should not wear cropped tops."_

"Good thing no one asked you!” Vernon calls after them, lip curling.

"Vernon," Seungkwan hisses, cheeks burning.

"No, really, it costs zero dollars to not open your fuckin’ mouth about everything.” 

"Shit," Joshua widens his eyes, stifling his laughter behind his hand.

"I wasn't talking to you, halfie," Abby sneers at Vernon.

"Am I supposed to be offended by that? Like, I know, thanks for the reminder, you're still white trash." Vernon laughs.

"Listen, it's not my fault your little girlfriend is fat."

"Mingyu," hisses Minghao. "Gimme your drink."

"Please don't throw it at her," Mingyu hands Minghao the cup, sighing in disappointment when she takes the lid off and strides over to the girl to do exactly that.

"Bye, bitch!" Minghao smirks, tossing the empty cup after dumping its contents on the girl. It bounces off of her and lands on the floor with a hollow clatter.

"Move along, hon’." Minghao waves her hand, narrowing her eyes. Finally, the group leaves, and she flips her hair over her shoulder, walking back to Mingyu, "I'll buy you a new drink."

Vernon looks over at Seungkwan, who just tentatively wraps her arms around his middle, tucking her face into his chest. Vernon hugs back tightly, trying to calm the anger that's still rattling him.

 

 

  
"Oh, _shit_!" Jeonghan suddenly exclaims, making Seungcheol jump.

"What?" she rolls over on her bed, peering over the edge to where Jeonghan's stretched out on her floor, phone in hand.

"Look at this," Jeonghan laughs, turning her screen towards Seungcheol. It's on Wonwoo's account. All the pictures of her and that girl – Amara – have been deleted, and the newest addition to her feed is a picture of her squatting in front of a fire, middle fingers up.

"Get this, the caption is 'love letters from a cheater make great fire starters'. Like, holy fuck!" Jeonghan laughs, sitting up.

"Oh, man.." Seungcheol widens her eyes. "First of all, Wonwoo's ruthless. But second of all, this explains why she's been disappearing on us, and was so quiet most of today. That's gotta hurt, Han."

"True," Jeonghan nods her head, leaning back on her hands.

"I don't think she'd want us to bring it up to her though." Seungcheol tilts her head to the side, freshly trimmed bangs brushing her lashes.

"Nah, she'd probably get all weird and closed off." Jeonghan runs her fingers through her own hair.

"Yeah. Anyways, I wanted to talk to Seungkwan after what happened today, but she went home too fast for me to catch her attention." Seungcheol crosses her legs, frowning.

"She probably just wanted alone time, you can do it tomorrow." Jeonghan crawls into the bed beside Seungcheol, "I thought Vernon was gonna flip, though, did you see him?"

"Yeah. He likes Seungkwan a lot," chuckles Seungcheol. "I don't think he's quite come to terms with it yet."

"Not at all," Jeonghan laughs. "It's late, I'm going to sleep. Night, squish."

She gently squeezes Seungcheol's thigh before crawling under the sheets. Seungcheol sits for a little bit longer, trying not to dwell on all the things she feels for her friends. Eventually, she lies down as well, though sleep doesn't come until much later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Joshua! Come inside, you have to go to bed early tonight. We have midnight mass." Josh's mother calls out her front door.

Joshua groans quietly, "Seriously?" he calls back, getting to his feet all the same.

"Yes, seriously."

"I didn't kill Jesus," Joshua mutters under his breath. He gives Seokmin's shoulder a tiny squeeze and waves goodbye to the others. The response is a chorus of "seeya later" and "bye".

"We'll miss you, Hong." Vernon clutches his heart, lying on his back on the sidewalk in front of Junhui's house.

"I know you will.” Josh rolls his eyes, spinning around and jogging back to his house. Once he's out of earshot, Soonyoung pounces on Seokmin like an oddly runty big cat. Maybe, like, a really strange ocelot or something. I digress.

"I saw that gay fuckin' shoulder squeeze, you damn homo! You're not slick!" Soonyoung slings an arm around Seokmin's neck, ruffling the younger's hair until Seokmin pushes him off.

"Shut up," he laughs, shaking his head.

"Josh? Gay?" Wonwoo chuckles as she joins them on the sidewalk, pulling her hood up over her head.

"It's ninety-seven fucking degrees out!" Jeonghan groans. Wonwoo grins at her.

"Is it not obvious?" Vernon raises an eyebrow in response to Wonwoo's earlier question.

"No, it is. That was sarcasm. Joshua's deeper in the closet than the entirety of Narnia." Wonwoo blinks back at him. Mingyu snorts quietly, "Don't let him hear you saying that, he gets weird whenever anyone mentions The Gay."

"Me too," Wonwoo snickers.

"Ah, I remember being in the closet. Good times," Chan jokes. Soonyoung cackles, "I don't."

"Well, yeah, you've always been a flaming gay."

"I was born loving Lady Gaga and interior design." Soonyoung places a hand over his heart.

"Me, honestly," Seungcheol giggles, gathering her hair into a bun. The strands that are too short to stay tied up fall back down, brushing the back of her neck.

"Shut up, the gays own Lady Gaga, stay in your lesbian bubble with Ellen and Rosie O'donnell." Soonyoung waves a hand dismissively at Seungcheol, who starts giggling hysterically, leaning on Jeonghan.

"Don't forget Hayley Kiyoko, you uncultured gremlin. Girls Like Girls changed my little homo life in 2015." Wonwoo grins at Soonyoung. "We have her, you guys are stuck with Tyler Oakley and that creature that made the youth song."

"Fuck off, Troye Sivan's good!" Soonyoung laughs, eyes widening.

"Blue Neighborhood was a really good album," Mingyu shrugs his shoulders.

"Shut up, we're having Gay Discourse," Woneoo waves a hand at him.

"This is bi exclusion and I'm offended," Mingyu sticks his tongue out. Everyone pauses, and Vernon raises his eyebrows at Mingyu.

"You're bi?"

"Yeah..? What about it?"

"Nothing, just.." Vernon trails off, shrugging one shoulder.

"Just what? Oh my God, this is why I didn't tell you guys," Mingyu rolls his eyes, getting up and walking away.

"Stop being dramatic, no one cares! Also, bisexuals get Lauren Jauregui from Fifth Harmony, so you're the true winners," Wonwoo calls after him.

"Shit, you're right!"

 

 

  
"Seungkwan?"

Seungkwan glances up from her phone to see Seungcheol leaning in her bedroom doorway, two slushie cups in her hands.

"I got cherry and blue raspberry, you can take either one." Seungcheol smiles. Seungkwan sits up on her bed, pointing to a cup at random. It turns out to be cherry.

"We missed you today.." Seungcheol's voice is gentle as she crawls onto Seungkwan's bed, sitting on the end facing the younger.

"Sorry. I wasn't up for hanging out." Seungkwan can't help but glance at Seungcheol's tummy poking out of the waistband of her shorts, the stretch marks on her strong thighs, the soft roundness of her cheeks. Seungcheol's bigger, sure, but she isn't just plain chubby the way Seungkwan is. Seungcheol could kick anyone's ass.

"Honey," Seungcheol's voice draws Seungkwan out of her thoughts.

"I know what's bothering you, Kwannie," Seungcheol sighs.

"Please don't say some shit like I'm not fat or whatever. We both know that isn't true." Seungkwan frowns at the elder.

"I wasn't gonna. You're chubby, Seungkwan, that's just the way you are. But you're also fucking amazing, because more weight doesn't equal less beauty. More weight doesn't equal anything. Your size and shape doesn't tell shit about who you are as a person, Seungkwan, and you're honestly so much fucking more than tummy rolls or a double chin. Which, by the way, everyone has those. You've seen the shit Vernon sends to the groupchat.

"But I digress. You're smart, and hilarious, and you make everyone happy when you're around. Everyone could not possibly give less of a shit if you're fat or not. They care that you're happy, and healthy, and there with us. Not that what anyone else thinks even matters. You should love yourself no matter what, hon, because your body sure loves you. Look at her go! She's keeping you healthy and alive!"

Seungcheol's bright grin draws a smaller, returning smile from Seungkwan.

"I guess you're right," she finally assents.

"Not to say that's what I wanted to hear, but it totally is. Anyways, you're beautiful just as you are. No nasty comments from some pathetic white girl will change that. If you want to lose weight, you can do that, I'll help you with the clean eating shit and you can use my gym membership if you really wanna commit to it," Seungcheol laughs. "But you're free to stay as you are. You can do and be whatever the hell you want, Seungkwan."

Seungkwan nods, smiling. "Thanks, Cheol," she sets her cup on her nightstand, crawling forward to hug the elder. Seungcheol hugs Seungkwan back tightly, rocking the younger back and forth.

Seungkwan groans when Seungcheol presses a big, noisy kiss to her cheek, swatting at the other girl. "Okay, okay."

"You love me." Seungcheol grins. Seungkwan bites back a wide smile.

"Yeah, I do."

 

 

  
"Guess what, bitches?" Jeonghan has a triumphant grin on her face as she walks into the McDonalds. Everyone takes up an entire wall of booths, earning dirty looks from workers and other customers alike.

"What?" Minghao steals Mingyu's milkshake, taking a sip. He pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing quietly.

"I'm finally getting my car back. They just have to get the boot removed." Jeonghan claps her hands together.

Wonwoo snorts, earning a raised eyebrow from Jeonghan.

"They booted your car?" she guffaws, "Like, literally booted it."

"Yeah. As if locking the keys I need to start the fucking thing in a safe wasn't enough." Jeonghan rolls her eyes, sliding into the booth beside Wonwoo.

"Jesus. White people are wild," Wonwoo takes a fry from the giant pile on a tray in the middle of the table, popping it into her mouth.

"Tell me about it," Jeonghan rolls her eyes.

"In other news, guess what?" Minghao asks even as she's trying to take Mingyu's drink, which he's holding out of reach.

"What?" Vernon raises his eyebrows at her.

"It's almost the most beautiful girl in the world's birthday." Minghao grins at Junhui, who pouts innocently, "Your birthday isn't until November."

Minghao gasps, placing a hand over her heart. "I cannot....believe. Wow."

"It's times like this that I appreciate how wholesome your friendship is, but then I remember that you guys conspired to end a literal ten-year marriage in sophomore year, and I'm terrified again," Seokmin sips his drink, chuckling. Wonwoo widens her eyes.

"You did what?" she asks around a mouthful of chicken McNuggets.

"Okay, listen. It sounds bad when you say it like that," Minghao kicks Seokmin under the table. He yelps, pouting and glaring at her.

"Mrs. Flynn deserved to know Mr. Flynn was cheating on her!" Junhui shrugs her shoulders, widening her eyes in innocence.

"Oh...my God." Wonwoo blinks, looking back and forth between Junhui and Minghao.

"I have no problems ruining relationships that aren't mine." Junhui shrugs, smiling.

"Same," Minghao manages to steal Mingyu's milkshake back from him, sipping it happily. Mingyu just gives up, going to get a new one.

"That poor boy. His blood pressure is probably so high, all because of you," Jeonghan shakes her head, watching Mingyu go. Minghao smiles triumphantly.

 

 

  
Being awoken at midnight by the groupchat Jeonghan added her to blowing up wasn't really in Wonwoo's evening plans, but here she is.

  
**wiggly noodle girl:**  
_fuck u guys i'm trying to sleep_

 **vern the fern:**  
_mute the chat then genius_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_Oh hey Wonwoo_

 **vodka mom:**  
_wonwoo MY GIRL_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_hi mingyu_  
hi jeonghan  
also, vernon,, no do i seem like a fucking animal to you

 **stacks n stacks (of pancakes):**  
_i've had this chat muted literally since sophomore year_

 **mingHOE:**  
_your dedication is admirable_

 **hong hong hong h:**  
_GUYS IM IN FUCKING CHURCH SHUT UR HORRIBLE MOUTHS_

 **mingHOE:**  
_i was gonna say smth really nasty but i can't bring myself to even type the words_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_Thats a lie she typed it out and then erased it bcos it was Too Far I watched her_

 **vodka mom:**  
_do i want to know_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_No_

 **stacks and stacks (of pancakes):**  
_why are we all awake it's literally one in the morning_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_like i said,,,i,,,was sleeping_

 **vern the fern:**  
_go tonsleep  
imean to sleep_

 **screamkwan:**  
_i think you should go to sleep vernon_

 **vern the fern:**  
_hell no 2k is calling my name_

 **mingHOE:**  
_fukcing loser_

  
Wonwoo groans, silencing the chat and rolling over, going back to sleep.

 

 

  
"You seem tired," Jeonghan comments as Wonwoo shuffles back over to the table, nursing her third McDonald's coffee.

"It's called depression and that god-forsaken group chat," she answers, sitting back down next to Jeonghan.

"You make a lot of depression jokes." Jisoo stirs his milkshake with the straw, tilting his head to the side.

"It's a coping mechanism," Wonwoo chuckles as Jeonghan pulls her hood down and starts to mess with Wonwoo's unruly hair.

"Have you heard of a hairbrush?" Jeonghan asks.

"I have," Wonwoo answers dryly, swatting Jeonghan's hands away with one of hers. Jeonghan pulls a face, swatting back at Wonwoo's hands.

"I'm doing you a favor," Jeonghan hisses, combing her fingers through Wonwoo's hair until it's fluffy and soft to the touch.

Wonwoo's quiet, looking out the window. Her eyes are unfocused, and Jeonghan gets a tiny pang of guilt, because she knows this group can be..a lot, to say the least, and Wonwoo's got her own shit to deal with.

Oh well. It'll balance itself out for Wonwoo. It did for everyone else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Vernon was nine, he remembered walking home from the bus stop after school to a moving truck in the driveway of the olive green house with the gray shutters. That house was three houses to the left of his, so he kept walking past his front walkway, curious.

The workers carrying things inside gave Vernon strange looks, but that was something he was used to by then.

Sitting at the mouth of the moving truck, legs swinging slightly, was a girl with a pink bow in her ponytail and a teddy bear that was falling apart clutched in her arms.

"Hiya," Vernon greeted. He guessed she hadn't noticed him, because she jumped a little, widening her eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked, frowning as she clutched her teddy bear tighter.

"My name's Vernon. I live down the street." Vernon raised one scrawny arm, pointing to his house.

"Oh." Her eyes followed where he pointed before snapping back to Vernon's face.

"I'm Seungkwan," she finally told him, still swinging her legs.

"Nice 'ta meet you." Vernon offered Seungkwan a smile. Thankfully, she smiled back instead of calling him a dork like Jeonghan did sometimes.

"How old are you?" Vernon asked, adjusting the strap on his backpack.

"I turned nine in January," Seungkwan had avoided his eyes, too shy. Instead she pulled at a loose string on her poor, ancient teddy bear.

"My birthday's in Februrary!" Vernon's grin widened. "I'm nine too."

"Cool." Seungkwan's smile was genuine, albeit small, this time.

"Are you gonna go to DuBose?" Vernon tilted his head to the side.

"What?" Seungkwan's smile became a confused frown.

"It's the only good school here," Vernon explained, still smiling.

"I dunno, my mom said she's taking care of it all," Seungkwan shrugged her narrow shoulders, messing with the ends of her wispy black hair.

"Well, I hope I'll see you there." Vernon bounced in place for a moment before there was a call for him from the house three doors down and he waved to Seungkwan, dirty Converse slapping on the pavement as he jogged back to his own home.

 

 

  
When Vernon was thirteen, his parents finally took him to a doctor because he couldn't sit still, couldn't think, couldn't pass his classes.

No one was really surprised that Vernon had ADHD. More like they had been waiting to hear it confirmed.

"I gotta take meds for it and everything," Vernon explained to Seungkwan as he joined her at their usual lunch table, having just returned from the appointment. His mom was nice enough to buy McDonalds for Vernon to share between himself and Seungkwan, and she smiled as she took the box of chicken nuggets from the paper bag Vernon placed on the table.

"The doctor also said it's likely that I could develop depression or whatever too. I dunno. I'm not smart enough to understand half the crap he said." Vernon offered Seungkwan a sip of his milkshake.

"Just because you don't understand stuff a doctor says doesn't mean you aren't smart." Seungkwan frowned at Vernon, nudging him. He'd smiled brightly, then, teeth crooked the way they'd always been.

Vernon got braces two months later. Seungkwan may have pouted a little, because hey, there's nothing wrong with crooked teeth, but Vernon reminded her that half their friends have braces too, it was just a thing that parents make their kids do. (Seungkwan automatically thought of Junhui with her pink and lavender bands and all the wires that still couldn't dull her beaming smile, and she stopped pouting, because Vernon had a point.)

 

 

  
When Seungkwan was fourteen, she and Vernon had their first fight.

"If you didn't want to hang out with me, you could've just said so." Seungkwan was white-knuckled on her bike handlebars, one foot braced on the sidewalk in front of Vernon's house. He was stretched out in the grass, a few boys from their science class with him.

Hours earlier, Seungkwan had texted Vernon, asked if he wanted to veg out with some snacks and a Harry Potter marathon that night. Vernon had taken an hour to answer, and when he finally did, all he said was, 'i have chores tonight sorry'.

"Can you, like, not do this right now?" Vernon just glared at her, so dismissive, careless.

"I think your girlfriend's PMSing, bro." One of the other boys shoved Vernon's shoulder. He laughed, and it felt like a punch to Seungkwan's gut.

"She's not my girlfriend, are you kidding me?"

Another hit.

"Fuck you, Vernon," Seungkwan laughed bitterly, riding her bike to Seungcheol's.

Some could argue that that was when Vernon being everyone's punching bag began, because Seungcheol marched her angry ass to his house and punched Vernon so hard he bruised two ribs.

Vernon would never argue, he'd just agree and say he deserved it.

 

 

  
When they were fifteen, Vernon had very awkwardly asked Seungkwan to the sophomore semiformal.

Even though Vernon sucked sometimes, Seungkwan said yes, because who the hell else would she go with?

They both looked just all around awkward, Vernon's suit just a tad too big, Seungkwan's hair a little frizzy, but it was okay, because they had fun, and after the dance they sat in McDonalds, sharing a large milkshake and fries and talking about life and stuff. Seungkwan wasn't really sure about what counted as the finer things in life; she was too young for that kind of thing, but even so, she was sure this was one of them.

 

 

  
When they were fifteen, it got bad.

"Fuck, I have _so_ much shit to get done." Vernon rubbed his temples, eyes bloodshot as he looked over his geometry homework.

Seungkwan hadn't thought much of it. They were all a little stressed; midterms were coming up, hell, Jeonghan became hellish if anyone even _looked_ at her in a way she didn't like the week before midterms.

Besides, Vernon was strong. He always managed, some way or another. He was Vernon; he'd find a reason to smile, even when things weighed on him.

However, in Bio one gloomy Wednesday, it got really bad.

"Oh my God. I haven't slept in three days," Vernon mumbled, scrawling something onto his paper before shoving it towards Minghao.

"Great. Hey, have you done that project for Spanish yet?" Minghao asked Vernon as she was copying his lab answers. Seungkwan glances up just in time to see Vernon freeze, color draining from his face.

"We had a project?" Vernon asked. Seungkwan's pretty sure she'd never forget how small his voice sounded in that moment, the way he dropped his pencil and it clattered on the table.

Vernon hyperventilated in the front office while the nurse calls his mom. He finally cried, rocking back and forth in the uncomfortable chair, both hands gripping one of Seungkwan's tightly.

Seungkwan's chest felt tight, because she should have known, should have helped.

Vernon went home, and he didn't come back to school for three days.

 

 

  
When they were fifteen, it got better.

"I'm on antidepressants now. They had to stop my ADHD meds so they don't mix badly, but I'm good. I'm good." Vernon had his head down on the table, cheek squished against the cool wood, eyes following the movement of the pencil he was twirling in his fingers.

_It's likely I could develop depression._

"That's good." Seungkwan searched through her backpack for a few seconds before finding what she was looking for; a blue folder, thick with papers.

"That's what you missed while you were out. Minghao and I did most of it already, and Mingyu did your sophomore thesis essay outline and presentation for you."

Vernon's eyes, which had widened in panic, looked from the folder to Seungkwan, and back again.

"Seriously?" he asked, picking his head up and running one hand through his messy hair.

"Seriously." Seungkwan handed him the folder. Vernon looked at it for another second before he stood (nearly tripping when his foot caught on the leg of his chair), and moved around the table, leaning down to hug Seungkwan tightly.

With her arms around his neck, face pressed into Vernon's soft hair so she could take in his soft boy smell, Seungkwan murmured, "I love you, Vern. I'll always be here for you."

Maybe he didn't hear her, because Vernon didn't answer, but Seungkwan was okay with that. She knew the things he failed to say sometimes.

 

 

  
Now, they're sixteen, and Seungkwan reflects on all of this as she's playing Skyrim and Vernon naps on the couch beside her. His mouth is slightly open, and Seungkwan smiles a little at the braces he's so excited to finally get off.

"I can feel you staring at me, weirdo." Vernon grunts, voice scratchy from lack of use. He's been sleeping for most of the day; sometimes it's just like that, with Vernon.

"I'm the weirdo? Have you met yourself?" Seungkwan grins, looking back at the TV screen.

"I may be weird, but at least I don't stare at sleeping boys."

Seungkwan snorts. "Stop making it sound like I was prowling for your ass, loser."

"Reow. Seungkwan, she's on the search." Vernon sits up, nudging Seungkwan repeatedly until she swats blindly at him. "Shut up, I'm trying to shout my wife into a necromancy circle."

"That would sound so fucked up outside of the context of Skyrim. Also, no, not your furry wife."

"Listen, I didn't choose to marry a tiger woman. Hence the shouting and necromancy." Seungkwan laughs.

"If you didn't choose to, how did you guys end up married?"

"How about shut up?"

"Is this your way of telling me you're a furry?"

"Vernon!" Seungkwan laughs, whacking any part of him she can reach. Vernon just laughs his dumb boy laugh, tickling Seungkwan's sides in retaliation.

"Vern–Vernon, no!" Seungkwan squeals, video game forgotten as she squirms, trying to escape. She giggles hysterically, pushing at Vernon's hands. "I did nothing to deserve this, get your Caucasian hands off me!"

Vernon grins, and all of a sudden, his face is too close to Seungkwan's, and she's all too aware of his hands, holding him up over her on either side of Seungkwan's waist.

"We're home!" The front door opens, and Seungkwan practically launches Vernon off her, picking the controller back up just as Vernon's mom comes into the living room.

"Come help get groceries, kids," she reaches over the back of the couch to ruffle Vernon's hair.

Vernon's cheeks are dusted pink as he gets up, walking out to the car. Seungkwan follows, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Okay. We gotta make Junhui a cake, because it's her birthday and she deserves whatever she wants because she's the best girl ever. No offense." Minghao claps her hands together, fluttering long eyelashes at Jeonghan and Wonwoo. Seungkwan grins, "None taken, Junhui kinda is the best girl ever."

"Damn fucking straight. Fuck. I love my best friend. Anyways, she likes pineapple upside-down cake because she's a classy bitch." Minghao examines her nails as she talks.

"We should try and make it from scratch, it'll be better," Seungcheol suggests, twirling a strand of hair around her forefinger.

"Oooh, that would be good." Minghao's face lights up.

"What did we all get as her actual presents?" Jeonghan asks curiously.

"I got her the Moonchild Glow Kit, Jihoon got her the Aurora one." Minghao shrugs.

"I got her some stuff she really liked from Victoria's Secret," Seungcheol chimes. "The baby blue bra and the bikinis, remember, Jeonghan?"

"Oh, those were so cute," Jeonghan nods, "I got her that 1975 album on vinyl."

"Shit, nice! Oh, by the way, Wonwoo you're excluded from having to get Junhui a gift because you guys haven't known each other that long," Minghao waves a hand.

"Oh, I already got the Sweet Peach palette from Too Faced for her, I just asked Jihoon what she liked," Wonwoo hops up to sit on Jeonghan's counter, swinging her long legs. Minghao stares for a moment, placing one hand over her heart.

"Wow. I'm moved."

Wonwoo offers a small smile, doing finger guns.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm a broke bitch, so I just got her a couple books and a ton of candy.” Seungkwan crosses her arms.

"She'll still love it if it's from you," Seungcheol reassures, smiling.

"Yeah, it's Junhui, she'd love it if all you got her was a pair of fuzzy socks." Minghao bumps Seungkwan's shoulder with hers. "But anyways, someone look up a recipe for the cake, we gotta get this shit started."

"On it," Seungcheol chimes, taking out her phone.

 

 

  
"When did we end up alone?" Wonwoo mumbles, looking around and then back at Jeonghan, who's rearranging pineapple slices in the bottom of the cake pan, her hair gathered into a lazy bun at the base of her neck.

"I think the other three went to Junhui's house to set up for her party. Jihoon and Soonyoung 'n Chan took her out to spoil her even more for the day," Jeonghan glances over at Wonwoo. "You have flour in your hair."

"That's just where I'm going gray, everything's stressful." Wonwoo looks back down at the bowl of dry ingredients she's mixing together lazily. Jeonghan rolls her eyes, reaching up to ruffle Wonwoo's hair, disturbing the flour that's settled in her black waves.

"Better." she gently nudges Wonwoo's shoulder with her own.

"Yeah?" Wonwoo smiles, taking the bowl of wet ingredients and starting to mix the dry ones into it.

"You also have flour all over your sweatshirt."

"Aw, shit," Wonwoo looks down, pouting her full lips slightly. "Mix this together while I take it off."

"Saucy," teases Jeonghan even as she takes the whisk from Wonwoo, who steps back, pulling her hoodie over her head. Her shirt, caught on the fabric, rides up as well, revealing an expanse of inked skin on her side and tummy before dropping back down too quickly for Jeonghan to even see what the tattoos were. Jeonghan tries to pretend she wasn't staring when Wonwoo drops the hoodie in one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

"Mm, yeah, totally." Wonwoo takes the jar of maraschino cherries from the bag of ingredients they had to buy from the store, opening it and taking a few out one by one, delicately removing the stems and arranging the cherries alongside the pineapples in the dish.

"What's that say?" Jeonghan points curiously at Wonwoo's left forearm,where she can see thin, loopy writing tattooed on Wonwoo's tawny skin.

"Oh, this one says 'God's a girl and she's gay'," Wonwoo muses, smiling as she pauses to extend that arm to Jeonghan, allowing the elder to look.

The words are lopsided, almost as if they were written there like an afterthought. The ink's bluish-black extends over raised pink scars that reach from Wonwoo's wrist to the crook of her elbow and Jeonghan almost looks away upon noticing them.

"I used to burn myself really badly. I don't do it anymore, I found better coping methods and shit," Wonwoo mumbles. "They've faded a lot. The last time I did it was a year or so ago. I don't really keep track."

"That's good," Jeonghan says unsurely.

"Sorry, that's a lot to unload on you, you don't have to say anything.” Wonwoo takes her arm back, picking out one more cherry and taking the red fruit between her teeth, pulling it away from the stem slowly.

Jeonghan gulps, her eyes on Wonwoo's mouth. "Don't apologize. I've just never been good at..talking to people. About that kind of stuff."

"I don't think anyone is. It's a weird subject," Wonwoo shrugs. "Anyways."

"Right," Jeonghan breathes out, continuing to mix the cake batter with slow movements as she gathers her thoughts.

"Fuck!" Wonwoo suddenly exclaims, eyes on her phone screen.

"What?" Jeonghan jumps, frowning.

"We should've tripled the recipe! This feeds four fucking people!" Wonwoo half groans, half laughs, tipping her head back and letting out another long, "Fuck."

 

 

  
"So, we managed," Jeonghan says as she places the three cakes on Junhui's dining table. "I had to ask Vernon's mom if I could use her oven so they were all done in time, but you know. Whatever works."

"They smell great," Joshua comments softly.

"Not gonna lie, Wonwoo carried this operation, I just occasionally stirred shit." Jeonghan flutters one hand lazily while Wonwoo dons a proud grin.

"Good job." Minghao daintily claps her hands together a few times, her own face set in a beaming smile. "Junhui and the others should be here soon, it'll be Gucci."

"Right on," Josh mumbles as he's helping Wonwoo place candles in the cakes.

 

 

  
"Happy birthday!"

Junhui's eyes are wide, sparkling happily as she walks into the dining room, led by Jihoon. She covers her mouth with one hand, blinking furiously as everyone launches into a loud (and in Vernon's case, off-tune) rendition of the birthday song.

After Junhui blows out her candles, Minghao shrieks, "Oh my God, your hair!"

It's a few inches longer, falling just past Junhui's ribcage. Her usual honey blonde color is replaced with inky black.

"You like it? I got new extensions," Junhui giggles, shaking her long locks out.

"It looks so good, holy shit!" Minghao bounds around the table to hug Junhui, who flushes a pretty pink as she returns the hug.

"You guys, these look so good," Junhui marvels over the cakes, one of her arms still around Minghao's waist.

"It was all me," Jeonghan jokes.

"Yah, as if!" Wonwoo practically whines. Seungcheol's smile widens a little, recognition glimmering in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything.

The massive pile of presents in the corner diminishes slowly, Junhui in Jihoon's lap as she opens them one by one, delicate in pulling the wrapping paper off the way she's always been.

"Shit, Vern! I haven't skated in forever because I needed new trucks, thank you," Junhui grins, setting the box from Vernon aside and pulling one of their youngest friends into a tight hug.

"Hell yeah," Vernon hugs Junhui loosely around the waist, taking the opportunity to flick Jihoon on the forehead where he's seated behind Junhui. The smaller male glares, but doesn't bother making the effort to retaliate.

Junhui cries a little by the end of it all, her smile practically splitting her face in half.

"You guys are the best fucking friends ever, what the fuck," Junhui laughs, dabbing at her eyes carefully. "Hug me, all of you, bring it in, let me love you."

As he's hugging her, Mingyu mumbles, "I'm sorry I gotta do this to you on your birthday, but I have to visit my parents today, my aunt's waiting outside."

Junhui's expression shifts but her smile doesn't leave, just becomes warmer, more personal as she pulls back to look at him.

"Hey, don't apologize. Your family comes first. Tell Mom hi for me," she cradles Mingyu's cheeks in her hands. He nods, half-smiling.

"Thanks," Mingyu whispers before stepping back, heading towards the front door. His hand brushes Minghao's waist as he passes by and she catches him, standing on her tiptoes to hug the taller around his neck briefly.

"Bye, guys," Mingyu waves before he's gone.

"Hey," Minghao catches Wonwoo's eye once everyone else is distracted with Junhui once more. She jerks her head towards the hallway, and Wonwoo follows the younger as Minghao walks out.

"What's up?" Wonwoo asks.

"I'm only telling you this so you don't put your foot in your mouth sometime in the future, because Mingyu doesn't like talking about it." Minghao tucks her cherry-colored hair behind her ear, "But a couple years ago, his dad died. He was a pretty bad alcoholic – not that he was ever bad to Mingyu, but he just. Drank a lot, I guess – and his liver failed. Mingyu's mom kinda..broke, after that, and. She's in an institution right now, getting her shit together. For Mingyu's sake.

"He's living with his aunt and uncle right now, his sister lives with their grandparents. But anyways, that's what that was back there." Minghao crosses her arms. There's this expression on her face that's hard to pinpoint; frustration, worry, something...deeper.

"Oh. Oh shit. Yeah, okay, thanks for telling me," Wonwoo nods her head slowly.

"No problem. But if anyone asks, I didn't tell you. This is for the sake of your dignity, but mostly Mingyu's sanity, he's plenty fucked up over it already."

"Yeah. I get it." Wonwoo hugs her arms around herself.

"Thanks. Let's go back out before they realize we left." Minghao chews on her lower lip, leading the way back to Junhui's living room.

 

 

  
_(June 11, 3:27 a.m.)_

_one (1) new message!_

**miiiiiiiiiiiiinggu:**  
_Mom says hi to you n Junhui_  
_she's doing better  
there was a rabbit eating the flowers I planted on Dad's grave but it's okay he'd like that he's feeding nature and shit_

 **minghao:**  
_that's good_  
_that's so good gyu_  
you and your mom are so strong and i'm proud of you both  
he would be proud of you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"They're all fucking crazy, Dad. Not, like, in a bad way, but it's all so much." Wonwoo holds her phone between her ear and shoulder as she unpacks all her books onto the shelf she finally bothered to set up, making sure all the spines are facing neatly outwards.

"There's this girl..her name's Jeonghan, and–Dad?" Wonwoo hears the line cut out. She looks at her phone screen. The call ended.

"Fuck," Wonwoo mutters, dropping her phone onto the carpet and sitting heavily on the floor, putting her head between her knees.

"Wonwoo? A couple of your friends are here," her mother calls up the stairs.

"It's too early," Wonwoo whines to herself, pulling a hoodie on over her pajamas – a tank top and shorts – and walking to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"They can come up!" she calls back to her mom, toothbrush in her mouth.

"Wonwoo!" Seungcheol's soft voice is high with frustration and she leans into the bathroom, pouting. Jeonghan follows, a miniature smile on her face.

"Yes?" Wonwoo mumbles around a mouthful of foam, raising her eyebrows.

"Tell Jeonghan that kissing girls is way different and one hundred percent better than kissing boys." Seungcheol crosses her arms.

"It's kissing! How big of a difference can it make?" Jeonghan rolls her eyes. Wonwoo holds up one finger, signaling for them to wait while she finishes brushing her teeth and rinses her mouth out.

"Does it say 'fuck off' on the back of your knee?" Seungcheol asks, discourse paused for the time being.

"Yeah." Wonwoo drops her toothbrush back into the holder, swiping the back of her hand over her mouth to wipe away any toothpaste left. "It's what I said when my friend asked if he could tattoo the back of my knee."

"But anyways." Wonwoo walks past them to her own room, waving lazily for the two older girls to follow. "I'm with Seungcheol on this one. Kissing girls is way different from kissing boys. And totally better."

"Thank you!" Seungcheol pouts, climbing onto Wonwoo's bed beside the taller girl.

"Okay, but like. How." Jeonghan follows, pulling her hair back into a ponytail.

"Girls are so soft, they actually use lip balm so they're not horrible and crusty and some of them wear flavored lipgloss and you can taste the strawberry when they kiss you and sometimes there's glitter left on your lips afterwards and when you kiss them their lashes are all long and fluttery against your cheek and you can play with their hair and they always smell nice, it's great. When they're shorter than you, the top of their heads are Prime Kissing Estate and they'll stand on their tiptoes to kiss you and it's basically the best thing ever."

Wonwoo ends her rambling, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Yeah. Kissing girls is awesome. Don't get me started on making out with girls."

Seungcheol places both hands over her heart. "I might cry. That was beautifully articulated. I love girls. Fuck."

Jeonghan looks contemplative, chewing on her lower lip. "Okay, maybe I'm a little convinced."

"Girls don't try to turn an innocent kiss into rubbing their crotch all over you." Wonwoo pulls her hood up, fingers just barely poking out from her sleeves, "Also, stealing clothes from girls is better than stealing it from boys because it smells like them but in a girl way."

"Does that just mean it smells like flowers instead of man perfume?"

Wonwoo rolls her eyes, "I left my hoodie at your place from Junhui's birthday. Why don't you find out?"

"I will, Jeon. You're never getting that sweatshirt back."

"That's okay, I have like, ten."

Wonwoo grins lazily at Jeonghan, and the elder stares back for a second, heart fluttering, before she says something that is definitely a very rash decision.

"Show me."

"What?" Wonwoo's eyes widen slightly, caught off guard.

"Show me why kissing girls is so much better." Jeonghan smirks. Wonwoo gives a little titter, eyes slanting towards Seungcheol nervously. The older girl looks at one of Wonwoo's posters, shrugs like she doesn't care.

So Wonwoo crawls across the bed, leans in and tips Jeonghan's chin towards her, and presses their lips together.

Wonwoo's lips feel every bit as soft as they look and she tastes like the spearmint toothpaste she'd just used. Her hand is gentle where it cradles Jeonghan's jaw, fingers creeping up to tuck the elder's hair behind her ear.

Wonwoo pulls back, cheeks flushed, eyes bright. Jeonghan gulps, chest rising and falling quicker than she remembers.

"Oh. Okay," she finally says, and Wonwoo's irresistible mouth quirks up, threatening a smile before there's a shout of her name up the stairs.

"Wonwoo! Bring down all the mugs you're hoarding, you damn heathen!"

Wonwoo grins sheepishly. "Okay!" she calls back, jumping off of her bed to pick up the coffee mugs scattered around her room and take them down to the kitchen.

Jeonghan follows in a daze, Seungcheol trailing behind her silently.

Wonwoo says something in Korean to her mom. Seungcheol's shockingly somber expression brightens a little, smile spreading across her face. Jeonghan smiles all the same, happy to see Seungcheol happy even if she can't relate.

"Hey. Leave your door open if you're all going to hang out in your room," Wonwoo's mom says this in English, and when she grins deviously, the resemblance between her and her daughter is striking.

Color blooms up Wonwoo's face all the way to her ears.

"Mom," she hisses as she rinses out her dishes, flicking water at her mom.

"I let you get away with a lot, child, I get to embarrass you sometimes.” her mom snaps a dish towel at Wonwoo, who whines and pulls her hood further down to hide her blush.

"I don't think I've properly met any of Wonwoo's friends yet, rude ass never brings anyone over," her mom sighs, turning to Seungcheol and Jeonghan with a warm smile.

"She's the worst," Jeonghan teases, "Nice to meet you, Ms. Jeon, I'm Jeonghan," she shakes Wonwoo's mom's hand.

"Please," she scoffs, "you can just call me Mom."

Jeonghan grins, looking over at Seungcheol, who beams as she shakes Wonwoo's mom's hand.

"Sorry, this is gonna seem so silly, but I speak Korean with my parents too and I've been, like, the only one until you guys moved here and it made me really happy–" Seungcheol waves one of her hands slightly, squeaking when Wonwoo's mother just pulls her into a hug.

"Oh my goodness, you're precious!" she pinches Seungcheol's cheek, and Seungcheol smiles so wide her eyes become happy crescent moons in her face.

"Thank you," Seungcheol giggles, cheeks pink.

 

Wonwoo leaves her door open when they go back to her room.

 

 

  
"I need to talk to you." Jeonghan lets herself into Vernon's house, groaning.

"Keep it PG, I'm babysitting," he responds from the couch. Sofia's sat down in front of him, watching TV as Vernon braids her hair.

"Yeah, yeah. So like. A couple days ago I was hanging out with Wonwoo and Seungcheol, right?" Jeonghan sits down beside Vernon, stretching her legs out in front of her.

"Mhm.” Vernon chews on his lip, not looking up from Sofia's hair.

"And they were talking about how great kissing girls is and I was Not Convinced that it was any different from kissing boys so I told Wonwoo to show me, right? First of all, kissing girls is great and I have been missing out, but second of all, Seungcheol's been acting weirdly distant since it happened and I don't know how to fix it. It didn't mean anything between me 'n Wonwoo, she's probably forgotten it even happened but now I feel like crap because I hurt Seungcheol's feelings and I don't know how to make it better," Jeonghan groans, covering her face with her arms and slumping further down into the couch.

Vernon's quiet for a moment, his expression thoughtful.

"Well. You and Wonwoo kind of act...flirty. A little. It might not be on purpose but you're touchy with her, and she always looks really proud when she makes you laugh, so interpret that how you want. Also, Seungcheol's been in love with you for. Like. Forever. Maybe it's less obvious when you're in the middle of it, but, Seungcheol loves you. A _lot_. Probably kinda fucky for her, watching you kiss someone else, right? Not that you did anything wrong, it was innocent, and I don't believe at all that Seungcheol would like. Hold a grudge if you and Wonwoo became a thing, but think about it from her perspective.

"I think you all need to talk. Talk to Wonwoo, see where you guys stand, if you want to be friends, more, whatever. Talk to Seungcheol so there's not bad blood that she blows up over, like, three months from now. You guys will figure it out." Vernon ties Sofia's braid off, giving her ear a fond tug before getting up and shuffling to the kitchen.

Jeonghan groans and follows him. "Vernon, I love you and that was great advice, but you know I can not talk to people about feelings and shit. I was born without whatever organ or bone that makes me capable of doing that. I'm emotionally constipated always."

"At least you acknowledge it," Vernon responds, searching through his pantry for food. "Let them do the talking, then. I can't really speak for Wonwoo, but I know Seungcheol, and she'll tell you what's wrong if you ask nicely."

"You're right," Jeonghan mumbles, letting out a defeated sigh.

"I believe in you." Vernon emerges with three snack-size chip bags, shooting Jeonghan his widest grin.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks." Jeonghan gives her younger friend a one-armed hug before leaving.

Vernon goes back to the living room, dropping a bag of Cheetos into Sofia's lap before collapsing back onto the couch.

"Vern?"

"Yeah."

"Girls can kiss girls?"

"Uh-huh."

"Can I kiss girls?"

"Hell yeah. Kiss all the girls, Sof."

 

 

  
_June 14, 5:57 p.m._

 **jEEyOnghan:**  
_hey  
you've been avoiding me lately and i think i know why but like can u talk to me about it please so i can find a way to make it better_

 **sunshine:**  
_huh_  
sure  
meet me @ the park pls

 

 

  
Seungcheol's as pretty as ever, pillowy lips pouting slightly, legs dangling off the edge of the playground structure. She's wearing a pale pink dress made of soft material that stops midway down her thighs. Jeonghan knows Seungcheol well enough to know the older girl is wearing black spandex shorts beneath the dress, not a fan of accidentally flashing her underwear to anyone.

"Hey." Jeonghan walks up to Seungcheol, smiling in the hopes she'll see Seungcheol's face light up too.

And of course, because she can't make a mean face to save her life, Seungcheol smiles back.

"Hi.” Seungcheol waves one little hand, swinging her legs slightly.

"What's up?" Jeonghan asks. A gentle breeze blows her hair in front of her face, and she runs her fingers through it, flipping it over to the other side so it doesn't get in her eyes or anything.

"Uh. I dunno. I guess I just felt weird about Wonwoo kissing you. It's stupid." Seungcheol shrugs.

And that's such a Seungcheol thing, to always worry so much about everyone else that she forgets that her own feelings matter too.

"It's not stupid. I shouldn't have done that right in front of you," Jeonghan mumbles, crossing her arms.

"Jeonghan. I like you. A lot. Shit, I love you. I've loved you for a long time. That's just the way it is. You don't owe me anything because of it." Seungcheol frowns, looking down at her lap.

"Hey," Jeonghan steps closer, taking one of Seungcheol's hands, "I love you too. I think I'm..starting to figure out exactly how. I'm figuring a lot of stuff out now."

Jeonghan laughs quietly, smiles up at Seungcheol. "I want you by my side while I do that. Things are stressful without you being all calm and always knowing what to do."

Seungcheol's cheeks redden. She smiles, squeezes Jeonghan's hand. "I try."  
  
The older girl hops down from the playground structure, adjusting her dress so it falls in the right places.

"You look cute.” Jeonghan pulls Seungcheol into a hug, smiling. Seungcheol gently squeezes Jeonghan around the middle.

"Thanks," whispers Seungcheol, leaning her head on Jeonghan's shoulder.

 

 

  
"Are you gonna ask Seok out soon?" Soonyoung asks as he plops down on the cool cement floor of Vernon's garage, setting his bong down between his legs and looking around for his weed.

"What? Shut up," Joshua laughs, not glancing up from the joint he's rolling.

"What do you mean what? It's obvious you guys are into each other. You didn't take him to senior ball because you're bros," Soonyoung scoffs as he packs his piece, stretching one leg out to gently kick a prone Vernon. "Hey. Come back from whatever dimension you smoked yourself into, I can't find the lighter."

Vernon groans, flails one arm slightly before retrieving said lighter from behind Sofia's old training bike. "I dropped it. And then. The weed hit me and I had. To lie down."

"Okay, bud." Soonyoung takes the lighter, ripping from the bong once before deciding to bother Josh some more.

"Seriously. Stop this dumb sidestepping stuff, you guys are good for each other." Soonyoung leans his head to the side.

"Since you got a boyfriend, you're suddenly an expert?" Joshua sticks the finished joint between his lips, lighting it and raising his eyebrows at Soonyoung as he inhales.

"My relationship is the second longest lasting in this group, so. Yes."

"Third if you count Vernon and Seungkwan," Joshua points out.

"We aren't dating," Vernon groans.

"Shut up," Soonyoung and Joshua respond simultaneously. Soonyoung carries on,

"Fair point, but, I'm dating someone and therefore am entitled to giving you dating advice."

Joshua hums, blowing out a big cloud of smoke. "I'll figure it out, Soon."

"It's my birthday tomorrow, ask him out as my gift."

"Fuck you. No."

 

_June 15th, 2:12 a.m._

_(Seokmin, you have one (1) new message!)_

**hONG:**  
_hey i'm r_  
eally stoned rn so i have to say this now  
but  
i like you a lot  
in the date me way  
idk if that means i love you or what but  
yeah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
_June 15, 8:49 a.m._

  
**hong hong hong h:**  
_happy birthday soonyoung my gift to u is pictures of wonwoo that i pulled off her mom's facebook_  
(image attached)  
(image attached)  
(image attached)

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_the_

 **vodka mom:**  
_WONW  
YOU_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_oh my god_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_I Never Said I'm A Perfect Person,_

 **shortstack:**  
_w_  
uou were  
an emo

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_IT WAS SEVENTH GRADE_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_THIS IS THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVERJWKFKSKDISKRIDOF_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_fuck yuo josh  
i juts got,,,,fcuikgn,,,,,,.war flashbbacks,,_

 **vodka mom:**  
_what flattening iron did u use oh my GOD your HAIR  
are u wearing silly bands in one of them_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_FUC_

 **vern the fern:**  
_y'all shut up it's not that bad_

 **vodka mom:**  
_y'all_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_y'all_

 **shortstack:**  
_yall_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_YALL_

 **mingHOE:**  
_(image attached)  
y'All ShUt uP It'S nOt ThAT bAd_

 **vern the fern:**  
_this is harrassmmmmment_  
screencapped and emailed to my lawyer. She will have filed charges by tomorrow afternoon. By law We must allow you 48 hours to remove the offending material. If not, you will be charged with defamation of character, libel, and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors. You will face a judge trial.  
Don’t think you won’t be found either. That email with the cap also includes your Dox, which will not be shared publicly. I’ve also forwarded this material to the local FBI field office. They take cyber harassment VERY seriously. Especially when your uncle is a high ranking Homicide Detective with good friends in the FBI, the US Marshals Office, and the NSA.

 **hit the kwon:**  
_HGHHHGHHGHGHBGGHBHH_

 **vodka mom:**  
_vern o_  
do you j  
just  
have that copied at all times

 **vern the fern:**  
_i have an entire folder of copypastas on my phone_

 **shortstack:**  
_this is worse than scene phase wonwoo_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_I hate you all please let me SLEEP  
it isn't even NINE_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_mute the chat_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_Funk nah binch_

 **mingHOE:**  
_he's using my vocab (': i'm rubbing off on u all_

 **vern the fern:**  
_unfortunately_

 **junwhee:**  
_vernon u have no clue wht ur talkin about obviously!  
minghao is an angel_

 **mingHOE:**  
_GET DAMN I FUNKIN LOVE U_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_joshua i'm gonna fucking MURDER you_  
my mom just said she sent u my grade school pictures too  
ur gonna suffer for this

 **hong hong hong h:**  
_(image attached)  
(:_

 **vodka mom:**  
_HSIKWHEJODISKD_

**_(wiggly noodle girl has left the chat)_ **

**hit the kwon:**  
_JOSH SHE  
R U N UR GONAN DIe_

 

 

  
"Happy birthday," Chan mumbles in between kisses. They're in Soonyoung's room, on his bed, Chan's weight settled comfortably between the elder's legs as they make out.

"This is the best one yet," Soonyoung responds, kissing Chan again so the other's voice is drowned out and Chan presses closer to Soonyoung.

Chan pulls away for just a second, covering Soonyoung's mouth with his hand when the other chases after him, whining.

"I still gotta give you your gift."

"This isn't it?" Soonyoung asks from behind Chan's palm, eyebrows raising.

"Nope. This is just 'cause I like you." Chan moves his hand away to press a chaste kiss to Soonyoung's lips before getting off his bed entirely.

"That's reassuring." Soonyoung grins, sitting up and watching Chan change out of his pajamas (one of Soonyoung's old shirts and boxers) into clean clothes (also Soonyoung's).

Chan shoots his boyfriend a grin, walking back over to the bed and pulling Soonyoung up. "Come on, get up."

Soonyoung groans, rolling out of bed and stretching both arms over his head. Chan rests warm hands on his sides and kisses him some more.

"It's hard to focus on doing anything else when you're right here." Soonyoung winds an arm around Chan's middle, grinning.

Chan hums, peering up at Soonyoung. "I know, I'm just so distracting, but our friends will kill me if I keep them from harassing you all day."

"Ah, those people," Soonyoung mutters, "I forget people other than my boyfriend exist sometimes."

"Me too. Get dressed, I gotta go do something with Vernon really quick." Chan presses one last kiss to Soonyoung's cheek before wiggling out of his touch and sneaking out of the window; if Soonyoung's stepfather knew Soonyoung was upstairs with his boyfriend, there would be a lot of yelling.

Soonyoung gets dressed and checks his phone as he walks down the hall to the bathroom. There's way too many texts from Joshua.

  
June 15, 2:20 a.m.

jishwa:  
soonyoung i fucking hate u  
i high texted seokmin last night  
u put the idea in my head  
(image attached)  
i'm such an IDIOT  
idk if he read it or not i just want to know if he HATES ME FOREVER or not

  
Soonyoung snorts, opening up his messages with Vernon.

  
soonyung $$$:  
dude lol  
josh told seokmin he liked him

caucAsian:  
oh boyo  
what did seok say  
or did he leave josh on deliveread  
he does that to me a lot  
specifically when i send him weed memes

soonyung $$$:  
fffffghh i think he read them and didnt answer  
pray for jesh

  
Soonyoung brushes his teeth, makes sure his hair looks half-decent, and grabs his longboard before descending the stairs, making a quiet noise of displeasure when he hears the TV blaring, indicating that his stepdad is there on the couch and it'll be impossible to sneak out.

Soonyoung's just getting his other shoe on when he hears his stepfather ask, "Where are you going?"

"Out. With my friends. For my birthday." Soonyoung answers flatly.

"Put away the dishes in the sink first."

"They're not my dishes," Soonyoung's lip curls.

"I don't give a shit! I pay the bills here, you don't, so you do as you're fucking told!"

"Yeah, that's right, just yell," Soonyoung mutters, stomping to the kitchen to hurriedly shove the dishes into the dishwasher. His mother's at the counter, staring tiredly into a mug of coffee.

"Hey. Get your manlet on a leash, or I'm moving in with Dad for real this time. I'm tired of cleaning up his mess." Soonyoung threatens, grabbing his house key off the counter before leaving.

 

  
Chan has this innate ability to always know something is wrong, no matter how brightly Soonyoung smiles when he meets the rest of them in the gas station parking lot for ice cream.

"You okay?" he murmurs in Soonyoung's ear when the elder sits down.

"Later," Soonyoung turns, kisses Chan for just a moment.

"You're finally seventeen, how does it feel copying the queen who already did that this month?" Minghao asks Soonyoung, pretending her popsicle is a microphone and gesturing towards Junhui with her other hand.

"Oh, y'know, she just set such a trend, I had to hop on the bandwagon," Soonyoung answers, mouth blue from his slushie.

"Figures," Minghao shrugs her shoulders.

"Leave Soon alone, let him enjoy his birthday," Mingyu laughs, gently nudging Minghao's leg with his own. She rolls her eyes, a fond smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. Happy birthday."

"Thanks," Soonyoung laughs, leaning into Chan's warmth on his right. He looks up, eyes searching until he finds the person he wants.

"Josh, you okay, buddy?"

Joshua hardly glances up from his rocket pop, answering, "Yep, totally."

"You sure?" Soonyoung catches Vernon's eye. The younger shrugs his shoulder, like he has no idea either.

"Mhm," Joshua hums, lips wrapped around his popsicle. He looks up just as Seokmin glances in his direction, and blushes furiously when they meet eyes.

"Joshua Hong, you're fucking dead," Wonwoo announces as she approaches, breaking the strangely tense silence.

"I'm sorry! No one is safe!" Joshua hides behind a giggling Seungcheol.

"Sleep with one eye open, Hong," Wonwoo hisses playfully, sitting down beside Seungcheol and swatting at Josh. They engage in a mini slap fight until Seungcheol whines that she's getting caught in the crossfire.

"Sorry," Wonwoo coos, pinching Seungcheol's cheek teasingly.

"Happy birthday, Soon," Wonwoo remembers, nudging the shorter.

"I loved my gift," he places a hand over his heart. "I'm printing all those pictures out and hanging them up."

"Why, God–"

"Anyways! Sorry we didn't plan ahead, but what celebration food do you want?" Jeonghan asks, slinging her arms around Soonyoung's shoulders.

"I don't really care, as long as we can all get stoned and chill together." Soonyoung grins at her.

"I'll get Helene to call for delivery."

"Specifics?"

"Pizza and Thai?"

"Pizza and Vietnamese?"

"Deal."

 

 

  
"Hey, can we talk? Please?" Joshua jogs to catch up with Seokmin, who's rolling slowly down the sidewalk on his bike, one earbud in, the other one dangling.

"Sure," Seokmin puts his foot down to stop, smiling over at Joshua. Joshua thinks he definitely doesn't deserve that smile.

"About. What. I texted you. Last night," Joshua shoves his hands into his pockets, cheeks burning red.

"Yeah..what about it?" Seokmin chuckles. He's way too relaxed and somehow it makes Joshua panic all the more, like Seokmin isn't taking it seriously, taking him seriously.

"I meant it. You know that, right?"

"...Yeah, Josh, I know that. What do you want to do about it?" Seokmin smiles again, his eyes crinkling at the corners and teeth gleaming white and fuck he's so warm and beautiful Joshua is sure being swallowed by the sun is less warm–

"What do I want to do? I-I don't know, Seok, I have no clue–"

"Okay, well, first of all, chill out. Take a breath, it's okay," Seokmin reaches out, brushes a hand against Joshua's arm gently. Joshua looks up at Seokmin, finally meets his eyes, cheeks red. Seokmin smiles again, pulls Joshua a little closer to him.

"Fuck–sorry, I'm just..sorry," Joshua looks down shyly. Seokmin laughs, leans down so he can kiss Joshua, gentle, cautious.

When they finally part, Joshua breathes out a soft, "Oh."

"Joshua!"

They both jump, and Joshua lands a good two feet away from Seokmin, glancing over his shoulder. Joshua's mom is leaning out her front door, looking exasperated.

"Yikes. See you later," Joshua whispers, smiling weakly at Seokmin before jogging across the street, back to his house.

 

 

  
"What have we learned about kissing boys in broad daylight?" Soonyoung teases, sitting down beside Joshua, who's busy rolling more blunts.

"Since when do you get to tell me anything about kissing boys in broad daylight?" Joshua grumbles, "Also, touch any of these blunts before I'm done and I'll end you. I'm selling half of them to Kyle Farrell for seventy bucks."

"Seventy dollars?" Soonyoung cracks up. "He can't be that dumb."

"White boys don't know shit, and he definitely doesn't know that five blunts aren't seven grams worth of weed," Joshua snorts.

"You're honestly...such a character, Joshua Hong," Seungcheol blinks at him.

"Not gonna lie, I thought you were the type to cry at the thought of weed when I first met you." Vernon chimes, "Now I know that's Mingyu."

"Shut your horrible mouth, Vernon."

Vernon just grins, leaning back on his hands. Unexpectedly, the side door to the garage opens and Sofia prances in to lean down, giving Soonyoung a hug.

"Happy birthday, Soon!" she exclaims, too distracted to notice Joshua hurriedly shoving his weed and rolling papers back into the box he brought them in. Vernon snorts, throwing his head back in silent laughter.

Once Sofia is gone, the door closed once again, Joshua exclaims, "No, my fucking weed!"

Soonyoung peers into the box, where most of the weed is spilled.

"Nice," he comments. Joshua groans loudly, starting to carefully clean everything back up.

"I fucking love Sofia," Vernon cackles.

"I think you just like to see me struggle." Joshua mumbles.

"Both, honestly."

"We're here. And we brought food," Jeonghan announces, walking in carrying two takeout bags. Wonwoo follows, pizza boxes stacked in her arms.

"We were waiting on you," Minghao crosses her legs.

"Were you really?"

"No, Josh was about to supply us with his quality blunts whether you were here or not," Soonyoung laughs. "Give me that food, the birthday boy is about to die of starvation."

"Please never refer to yourself, ironically or not, as the birthday boy. Even if it's your birthday."

"See, Minghao, I would, but the birthday boy does what he wants today."

"Please die soon."

"If you change the inflection on that it sounds like you're just saying my nickname instead of the word soon."

"Talking to you exhausts me."

"Ditto, you angry little woman."

Minghao grins at Soonyoung as Wonwoo sets down the pizza boxes on the floor, in the center of the circle they're all sat in, nearly tripping as she steps past them to sit beside Jeonghan.

"Jeonghan, your mom is wonderful, and by that I mean her money is wonderful," Jihoon mumbles as he takes a slice of pizza, offering Junhui a bite as he sits with his back against her front, free hand laced with Junhui's.

"I agree," Jeonghan leans her head on Wonwoo's shoulder, and the taller girl slings an arm around Jeonghan's shoulders lazily.

Soomyoung looks at them and then Vernon, raising an eyebrow. Vernon shrugs, looking to Seungcheol, who pulls the closest thing to a sneer that they've ever seen from her.

"Yikes," mouths Soonyoung. Vernon holds his hands up as if to say, "What can you do?"

 

 

  
"Will you come with me to pick up all the food for tonight?"

"Yeah, sure," Wonwoo was in the same clothes as earlier, hair messy and eyes lidded, just awoken from a nap, but she smiled at Jeonghan all the same. The older girl followed Wonwoo up to her room, watched Wonwoo clumsily pull her shoes on and change into a clean shirt. Jeonghan took the chance to admire the vast expanse of Wonwoo's bare back and shoulders, skin smooth and tawny brown until bright ink interrupted it.

"I like your tattoos," Jeonghan said absently, studying the splash of watercolor-style colors on Wonwoo's shoulder.

"Me too," Wonwoo joked, pulling a large, long-sleeved tie-dye shirt over her head.

"Seriously. They're cool," Jeonghan rolled her eyes, smiling fondly.

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you," Wonwoo grabbed her car keys from her nightstand. "Let's head out, yeah?"

Jeonghan trailed after Wonwoo to the younger's Jeep.

"I need to clean it out, sorry if there's trash on the floor," Wonwoo mumbled, sliding into the driver's seat.

"No, I won't forgive you, I can't believe you drive in this squalor," Jeonghan teased. Wonwoo just swatted vaguely in her direction, started the car, and pulled out of her driveway.

"Where are we going first? I don't know where anything is."

"Uh, the Vietnamese place first, I'll give you directions, just get to Azalea and I'll tell you where to go from there," Jeonghan glanced over at Wonwoo. The sun was just setting, casting a pink glow over Wonwoo's bronze skin, lighting up the amber in her eyes, the deep mauve of her lips, the reddish tones in her hair.

"Stop staring at me. Weirdo." Wonwoo didn't take her eyes off the road, but her lips quirked upwards in a smile.

"Sorry. You're pretty." Jeonghan grinned, enjoying the way Wonwoo's cheeks flushed, how she gulped quietly.

"Where to from here?" Wonwoo asked, voice much softer as she pulled around the Azalea roundabout.

"Left out of here. I have a question."

"Did you make me come with you so you could trap me and ask whatever you're about to ask?" Wonwoo chuckled.

"I'm not gonna interrogate you, gosh. But also, yes."

"Ask away, then. Wait, first tell me where to go at this light."

"Straight. What was that kiss the other day? Like, to you? I mean, like, I get it if you didn't mean anything by it but since then I've been like holy shit I like girls and especially one girl in particular, aka you, and I need to, like. Get this off my conscience." Jeonghan felt the words rush out of her before she could stop them, and an unpleasant chill settled over her when Wonwoo was silent for a beat too long.

"I wouldn't have done that if I didn't like you, Jeonghan. I do like you. At least, so far. I'd kiss you again, if that's what you're saying."

So far. That worried Jeonghan a little, but she wasn't about to scare Wonwoo away.

So, she smiled and breathed out, "Cool."

And she only freaked out a little when Wonwoo gunned it at a yellow light, because Wonwoo leaned over and kissed her afterwards.

 

 

  
"Anyways, how was that talk with your mom?" Vernon asks Joshua, who groans.

"She makes me want to go back into the closet before I even come out, God. She had this whole speech about how they all accept me because it's His path for me and shit. Which, like, isn't bad, it could be worse, but it was still horrible and I wanted to die the whole time. Also, Seokmin is banned from coming over to my house alone." Joshua finally finishes rolling, dusting his hands off and organizing everything, putting it all away once and for all.

"No, I like coming over to steal your snacks," Seokmin groans, stretched out beside Seungkwan with one piece of pizza on his chest as he eats the other piece.

"Well guess what, you can't, gay stuff could happen between you eating all my poptarts and beating me in every round of Mario Kart we play."

"Same," Chan snorts.

"Right on," Soonyoung leans over to kiss his boyfriend on the cheek, grinning.

"I left my gifts for you at home, God dammit," Junhui gasps, whining to herself.

"I told you not to get me anything! Food and your friendship is enough!" Soonyoung shakes his head.

"Shut your mouth! I got you gifts and you're gonna like them!"

"I probably will!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_On Wonwoo's eleventh birthday, she rode her bike home from her best friend's house to police cars and an ambulance in the driveway._

_Her grandmother was talking to a police officer, arms folded over her chest, and Wonwoo left her bike in the front yard, trying to walk towards her house._

_"Young lady, you can't go in there." Another officer stopped Wonwoo, but she jerked her arm away._

_"I live here, what's happening?" she asked, frowning up at him._

_"You live here? What's your name?"_

_"Wonwoo. Tell me what's happening," Wonwoo demanded, clenching little fists and stomping her foot._

_"How about you go sit in my cruiser, Wonwoo–"_

_Wonwoo huffed, dodged his reaching hand and ran towards her house, ducking around people until she was in the front living room._

_"Young lady! You can't be in here!" An officer barked, but Wonwoo was only watching the paramedics kneeling over her mother's unconscious body, a hypodermic needle still sticking out of her arm, while her father staggered to his feet, already handcuffed._

_"What did you do?"_

_Wonwoo could hear herself asking it over and over, stumbling alongside her father and the officer leading him away._

_"I'm sorry, Wonwoo," is all her father said, head hung in shame._

_  
"Happy fucking birthday to me," Wonwoo scoffed, sneering at her mother through the glass that separated them. "More time? Are you fucking serious, Mom?"_

_"Jesus Christ, Wonwoo, watch your fucking mouth."_

_"No, don't skirt around the fucking problem. You're supposed to be out right now. I'm fifteen and you're still in here. It's been four fucking years, I need my fucking mom." Wonwoo spit, fury bubbling so viciously inside her that she was vibrating with anger, hand white-knuckled gripping the armrest of the uncomfortable plastic chair she was sat in._

_"I'm sorry, Wonwoo. I can't express how sorry I am that I've fucked your life up like this," her mom sniffled, eyes glassy, and Wonwoo almost felt bad._

_"I'm trying to be good, honey. I really am, so I can get out and try to make it right for you, okay?"_

_Wonwoo took a deep breath. Two. Closed her eyes, calmed the roaring in her chest._

_"Yeah. Okay. Whatever." Wonwoo finally reopened her eyes, flicking her bangs away from her face._

_"How's Grammy?"_

_"She almost had a heart attack when I came home with my lip pierced." Wonwoo smirked, toying with the black ring pierced through her lower lip._

_"Wonwoo. Please do not kill your poor grandmother."_

_"I don't get why I couldn't stay with Seulgi."_

_"Your aunt is a functioning alcoholic whom I don't trust with you."_

_"Huh. Because I'm turning out so good now, right?" Wonwoo raised an eyebrow._

_"Do whatever you want to your looks, Wonwoo, I don't care. You're still not a bad kid."_

_Wonwoo rolled her eyes, shifting in her seat uncomfortably._

_"Time's almost up," an officer in the corner reminds._

_"I'll just wrap it up now. You have other things to do. Happy birthday, sweetheart. I'm sorry this was how you spent it." Wonwoo's mother pressed one hand to the glass. The rainbow tattoo on her palm was dulling, the ink faded. Wonwoo placed her hand to the glass too, avoided her mother's gaze._

_"Yeah. It's whatever. I love you," mumbled Wonwoo, pulling her hand away. "I'll visit when I can, okay?"_

_"Of course, Peanut. Call your father."_

_"No."_

_"It was worth a try," sighed her mother, watching Wonwoo stand, waving awkwardly as she backed towards the visitation room's exit._

_  
"My goodness, you've gotten so big," Wonwoo's mom cradled her daughter's face in both hands, smiling._

_"Mom," groaned Wonwoo, cheeks burning red. "This is embarrassing."_

_"Good."_

_Wonwoo glared just a little, but she pulled her mom into a hug all the same, tucking her face into her hair and taking in the sweet, perfect smell that only her mother ever had._

_"Not sixteen quite yet, are you?"_

_"Still got two weeks."_

_"We'll celebrate properly this year."_

_Wonwoo really tried to resist her mom's warm smile. She failed._

 

  
"Thinking about something?" Jeonghan queries, noticing the spaced-out expression on Wonwoo's face. Well, at least, more spaced-out than usual. Wonwoo looks vacant all the time, if Jeonghan's being honest.

"Hm? Sorry, yeah. Zoned out. There's two weeks 'till my birthday," Wonwoo takes her phone out, texts someone (Jeonghan sees _'birth giver'_ as the contact name, but that's all before Wonwoo puts her phone away once more), and leans over to give Jeonghan a kiss.  
  
"You do that a lot. What do you want for your birthday?" mumbles Jeonghan before she's too wrapped up in Wonwoo's lips to think about much else. Wonwoo is distracting, to say the least.

Wonwoo just hums, winds an arm around Jeonghan's waist to pull her closer.

"We're in a public place. That's gross." Joshua walks from the direction of Seokmin's house with swollen lips and a hickey the size of Texas on his neck.

"God damn, was Seok trying to eat you?" Wonwoo exclaims, eyes widening. Josh instinctively covers the hickey with his hand, blushing.

"Shut up."

"Yeah, really, you have no room to talk," Jeonghan tosses her hair off her shoulder, displaying a yellowing love bite just below her jaw. Wonwoo grins, wiggles her eyebrows.

"Oops."

 

 

  
Seungcheol kind of expected Wonwoo and Jeonghan, somehow. It just..makes sense, Wonwoo's hand in Jeonghan's, the smile Jeonghan reserves for only Wonwoo, the way Wonwoo does anything if Jeonghan tells her to in that special tone of voice that always worked on Seungcheol before. So, Seungcheol doesn't expect Wonwoo to knock on her door one evening, eyes a little red, and ask,

"Are you mad at me or something?"

Seungcheol's a little taken aback, at first. Wonwoo looks so vulnerable, her sweatshirt sleeves pulled over her hands, hood nearly covering her eyes.

"Sorry. I'm like, extra emotional today for other reasons and I know I shouldn't be the one crying to you about it when I stole the girl you loved or whatever but I hate not talking to you, people shutting me out makes me anxious–”

"Come inside, it's hot out," Seungcheol sighs, taking Wonwoo's hand and pulling her into the air-conditioned house before Wonwoo faints under her heavy sweatshirt. Wonwoo is silent, her eyes following Seungcheol apprehensively. The older girl searches for what to say for at least a minute before coming up with nothing, holding her hands up for a second before letting them fall back to her sides with a quiet slap against her thighs. Wonwoo flinches at the sound.

"I don't know. I'm mad. I have no right to be, but I'm fucking mad. I've known Jeonghan since we were kids, I've loved her since, God, like, sixth grade. And Jeonghan somehow managed to be aware of and completely fucking oblivious to it, because she's Jeonghan and she always manages to contradict herself and make things difficult. I've loved Jeonghan as long as I've known how to, and you show up and kiss her once and she forgets about me. I'm mad at you because you took her, I'm mad at her because it feels like she left, I'm mad at myself for feeling like either of you owe me anything," Seungcheol feels the tears welling up in her eyes and she looks at the ceiling, desperately willing them not to overflow.

"I didn't know you felt that way," Wonwoo finally murmurs, eyes downcast. "Maybe I'm as oblivious as Jeonghan, or haven't been here long enough, or just...fucking selfish, even, but I didn't. And I would've kept my distance if I had."

”Didn’t you hear me? You don’t owe me anything. I shouldn’t even be so upset right now," Seungcheol laughs bitterly, shaking her head and wiping her eyes.

Wonwoo sniffles a little bit. "I guess. Your feelings matter too, though. Even if you don’t care about that part, I do, because if you’re upset I’m gonna be anxious about, I don’t want us to end up hating each other or anything.”

"That's fair," laughs Seungcheol tearily, nodding her head. "And for the record, I wouldn’t hate you, you’re cool. You're a good break from all those shitheads I grew up with."

Wonwoo manages a small smile, and Seungcheol smiles back, tugging Wonwoo forward until she can hug the taller girl. Wonwoo's long arms wind around her waist, and oh Jesus, the second Seungcheol feels Wonwoo tuck her face into the older girl's neck, her soft flowers-and-men’s-cologne smell enveloping Seungcheol, she knows she's in deep this time.

 

 

  
For some reason, Mingyu always makes Minghao move the fastest. Whether she's running away from whatever weird and potentially dangerous animal he rescued this time, or doing her best to make him proud at dance recitals, or running to his house with Excedrin and his favorite quiet mood playlist ready to shuffle for the rest of the day, Minghao races for Mingyu. She wants to hate him for it because she doesn't know why (actually, that's a lie. Minghao knows exactly why, and will not admit it to anyone, including herself), but it's Mingyu, and no one can hate Mingyu.

"Did you get out of bed at all today?" Minghao whispers as she tiptoes into his room, avoiding the creaky floorboards and leaning down beside the lump that is Mingyu beneath his bedcovers.

_"Mmmmmm."_

"Okay, you didn't. Take this, your head will feel better." Minghao opens the bottle of migraine pills, avoids shaking the noisy bottle and instead delicately picks out a single pill, pressing it into the hand Mingyu stretched out from beneath his blanket.

"Water, headass," Minghao reminds, still in a whisper. Mingyu groans, sitting up slowly. The blankets fall away from his bare torso. He's pale, and even just sitting up seems to be too much, because Mingyu squeezes his eyes shut and turns a little green.

"Bad today?" Minghao breathes out, handing Mingyu a cup of water. He nods, and at a glacial pace, downs the pill with a sip of water.

"There you go," murmurs Minghao soothingly, taking the cup back and setting it carefully on Mingyu's nightstand. "Lie back down, honey, I'll close your shades so it's not as bright in here."

Mingyu nods, buries himself back under the covers as Minghao closes his shades and draws the curtains, blocking out most of the sunlight that had been filtering into Mingyu's room previously.

Poor Mingyu. It really must have been excruciating right off the bat if he couldn't even get out of bed. He'd only texted Minghao two words, _'headache'_ and _'bad'_ , but Minghao's known Mingyu long enough to figure it out, and do her best to help.

"Music or no music?" Minghao takes her iPod from her pocket, walking to the speakers on Mingyu's dresser.

"Music, please. Quiet," Mingyu mumbles back. Minghao hums softly, connecting the iPod and starting to shuffle the music, making sure the speakers are on the lowest volume.

Mingyu gets migraines often. They can be tolerable, or they can be like this. Either way, Minghao always finds herself trying to make it better.

"Gonna be okay?" she asks, yet again in a whisper, cautiously crawling into Mingyu's bed beside him. Mingyu nods without turning to face her. It's okay. Minghao just uses her fingertips to trace gentle patterns onto the vast, broad expanse of Mingyu's back until his breathing finally evens and his muscles aren't tensed beneath his smooth honey skin.

Maybe Mingyu's asleep. Hopefully, Mingyu's asleep, because Minghao leans in and presses a gentle kiss to his shoulder, letting her lips linger on his warm skin for just a second too long.

Mingyu's definitely not asleep. Somewhere in between, maybe. Either way, he doesn't mind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's quiet, other than the sound of Vernon's skateboard rolling over the concrete, the occasional scuff of his shoe as he pushes himself along. Seungkwan rides alongside him on her bike, the cool evening breeze blowing her hair off her shoulders.

It's quiet for too long. Not that Seungkwan minds the relative silence, but this is Vernon she's hanging out with, and if he's quiet for too long, something is definitely wrong.

"Vern." Seungkwan pedals a little faster to catch up with Vernon, who's been creeping ahead of her for a while.

"Hm."

"What's up." It's not a question. Seungkwan never has to pry too hard to get anything out of Vernon.

"It's dumb," is his answer as he slows a little, glancing over at Seungkwan. The wind blows his hair, which is getting longish now that he hasn't bothered doing anything to it since the last month of school.

"It's bothering you enough that you've kept your big dumb boy mouth shut for, like, five minutes now."

"Leave my big dumb boy mouth out of this." Vernon smiles a little, but it still doesn't reach his eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong so I can help, loser."

Vernon sticks his tongue out at Seungkwan before he gets a contemplative look on his face, rolling to a stop at their street and shrugging.

"I don't...like when you guys call me white boy. It feels weird, I don't know. This is dumb."

Seungkwan pauses, frowning at Vernon, who won't meet her eyes.

"What? Vernon, that's not dumb," Seungkwan laughs slightly. "You're allowed to feel that way. You're not white, if you don't want us to joke about it then we won't."

Vernon shrugs a second time, finally looking up at Seungkwan. "I dunno. My dumb friends that aren't you guys, meaning they're all white, will joke about me being mixed and looking Asian and shit, but if I tell them it's racist or whatever, they suddenly decide I'm too white to determine that. I can't win either way, and when you guys joke about me being white, it feels like that. But in reverse. I'm the odd one out either way."

Seungkwan nods, reaches out to take Vernon's hands. "Hey, that's fine, Vern. I'm sorry we didn't really think about how you might feel about stuff like that."

Vernon swings their hands gently, eyes cast down towards their feet. "It's cool."

"Hey. Dude. You don't have to brush everything off," Seungkwan reminds, freeing one of her hands from Vernon's to tip his chin up and look her in the eye. "It's not cool. You're upset about it, let yourself be upset."

"I've let myself be upset for long enough, I just had to get it off my chest," Vernon gently bats Seungkwan's hand away, shaking his head.

"If you insist," Seungkwan frowns, linking her hand with Vernon's again. "But you can tell me if it's still bothering you though. I'll listen."

"Yeah, I know." Vernon squeezes Seungkwan's hands. "I appreciate it, Baby Hands Boo."

"Leave my baby hands alone!" Seungkwan pulls away from Vernon, shoving him gently. Vernon giggles quietly, holding his hands up to shield himself.

"I'm sorry! I can't not make fun of them!" Vernon grins, and Seungkwan glowers, crossing her arms. Vernon reaches out, his hands on Seungkwan's waist as he pulls her closer, hugging the older girl. And, without really thinking about it, Seungkwan leans up, presses her lips to Vernon's.

He gasps softly, and Seungkwan's entire body grows unpleasantly hot as she steps back. "Shit. I'm sorry. I..don't know why I did that."

And Vernon has this dreamy look in his eyes, a blush turning his freckled cheeks into pink constellations. He smiles crookedly, blinks a couple times, "It's fine."

Seungkwan feels her heart beating. Everything seems like it's in high definition right then, the way the wind blows Vernon's hair into his eyes again and he grunts, shaking it away, before shooting Seungkwan that dopey grin once more.

They don't mention it. But the sunset seems extra saturated in its pinks and oranges as Seungkwan and Vernon ride back down Crossandra Avenue, back home.

 

 

  
_July 5, 7:46 p.m._

 **screamkwan:**  
_guys don't call vernon white boy anymore he doesn't like it_

 **vodka mom:**  
_aight_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_cool beans  
WE'RE GETTING BABY PIGS AT THE FARM TOMORROW YEEEEEEEEEEEHAW_

 **junwhee:**  
_I CALL FIRST DIBS ON HOLDING™ ALL OF THEM  
also okay vern!!!! wherever u are ily!!!_

 **mingHOE:**  
_yeah no problem @vern  
also pigs r Gross mingew_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_ur unbelievable_

 **Actual Mom:**  
_baby pigs? u mean me?  
and okay vernnnn_

 **junwhee:**  
_LISTEN HERE CHOI SEUNGCHEOL,,,,,,_  
U ARE NOT A PIG  
BABY OR OTHERWISe,,,

 **Actual Mom:**  
_junhui pls_  
baby pigs are cute  
and round  
i am cute  
and round

 **junwhee:**  
_OH  
true ur the cutest i love u so much Gosh_

 **Actual Mom:**  
_i'm...cryin in the club_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_youre in the club?????!!!_

 

 

  
"What do you want for dinner?" Junhui mumbles from where her head is on Jihoon's shoulder, phone in hand. They've been sitting on her couch for at least two hours now, Junhui wrapped around Jihoon as always, just sitting in silence with each other.

"Don't care, 'm not hungry," Jihoon replies lazily, though his stomach grumbles in contradiction.

"Hmmmm, nice try. Have you even eaten today?"

"I had breakfast."

"Jihoon. It's eight at night."

"It was a big breakfast!"

Junhui shakes her head, extracting herself from Jihoon's arms and walking towards the kitchen. "Mama went grocery shopping today, we have plenty of stuff to eat."

Jihoon grumbles under his breath, following Junhui after a moment. She's leaning down, peering into the fridge while chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip.

"You really don't have to cook anything." Jihoon brushes a hand against Junhui’s waist as he passes by, sitting on the counter. Junhui leans over to look at him, raising on eyebrow.

"Shut your tiny face. You need to eat something that isn't delivery or fast food."

"Okay, maybe you're right, but still. Also, my face is not tiny."

"It is though, you're like a cute little pixie." Junhui grins, batting her eyelashes at Jihoon. He glowers, "You are so lucky I love you."

"I am," Junhui agrees, shutting the fridge and coming over to stand between Jihoon's legs, kissing him sweetly. "I'm the luckiest girl in the world," she murmurs against his lips.

"Holy shit, I don't deserve you," Jihoon sighs out, bringing his hands up to cradle Junhui's cheeks lovingly.

"Mm-mm," Junhui hums, shakes her head, “you definitely do. 'n I deserve you, because we're meant for each other and that's how it works."

Jihoon has nights like this, where small things set him off. Nights when his parents' divorce seems to weigh too much on his shoulders, when he can only hide from his mother's slurred speech and the smell of red wine in his house for so long, nights when Junhui always knows the right thing to say, like she's his damn guardian angel or something. And on nights like this, he hates crying, because he could have it worse, really, but it still fucking sucks.

The good thing is, on nights like this, Jihoon has Junhui there, warm and loving and soothing in every way, to hold him and just allow him to cry, without the need for any words exchanged between them.

"Sorry," Jihoon sniffles, using the sleeves of his (Junhui's) sweatshirt to wipe his eyes. "That was fucking lame."

"No it wasn't," Junhui kisses Jihoon's cheek, taking a couple paper towels off the roll and handing them to Jihoon. He laughs bitterly, blowing his nose.

"It was. I suck and I'm sorry I'm sad all the time."

"Jihoon. Look at me." Junhui sighs, using her I Don't Care If It's Only By Five Months I'm Older And You Listen Here voice. Jihoon peers up into her eyes.

"You don't suck. You're my boyfriend. You've literally been my boyfriend since seventh freaking grade, and that means I love you to fucking pieces. Like, _so_ much. I'm not just gonna get...fed up and leave because you have shit going on in your life, or because you have emotions, for God's sake, Jihoon. You have my fucking heart, I hurt when you hurt and all I want to try and do is help you be healthy and happy and shit. When you're sad all the time, I'll be here. When things get better, I'll still be here. Okay?"

Jihoon swallows back the tears threatening to rise again, nodding his head yes slowly. Junhui smiles, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "Okay. I love you."

"I love you too." Jihoon manages a smile, no matter how wobbly it is.

"So. How does breakfast for dinner sound? I'm vibing chocolate pancakes."

And Jihoon thinks he really does love Junhui _so_ fucking much, watching her get out all the ingredients to cook.

 

 

  
"Mom, come look what I _caught_ ," Jeonghan announces sarcastically, hand linked with Wonwoo's as they walk into the former's house. Wonwoo snorts, rolling her eyes.

"What, Jeonghan?" an exasperated woman's voice comes from the kitchen. Jeonghan pulls Wonwoo in that direction, crinkling her nose.

"What are you making?" Jeonghan inquires, fanning her free hand in front of her nose. "It smells bad."

"No one's asking you to eat it. We're having roasted vegetables and pork chops for dinner."

"Did you _season_ it?" Jeonghan asks incredulously, cocking a hip out.

"Jeonghan."

"So no? You didn't? That's some white people nonsense."

"Jeonghan, what did we say about making those damaging comments?"

Jeonghan glances over her shoulder at Wonwoo, rolling her eyes as if to say, 'see what I deal with?'

Wonwoo just bites back a smile.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I brought Wonwoo. The one you called a boy, remember?" Jeonghan smiles. Her mother shoots her a look before turning to look Wonwoo up and down. Her eyes automatically go to the tattoos peeking out from the rolled-back sleeves of Wonwoo's flannel, and she smiles tightly.

"It's nice to meet you, Wonwoo," she greets coolly, "I'm Helene, Jeonghan's mother. I wish she'd told us we'd have a guest beforehand, but whatever, I guess."

"Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you too." Wonwoo holds out a hand. Jeonghan's mother turns away to tend to the food, leaving her hanging. Wonwoo blinks, looking over at Jeonghan questioningly. Jeonghan just pinches the bridge of her nose, shaking her head.

"Whatever, where's the little brat?" she asks.

"Your _sister_ is in her room. Can you tell her _nicely_ to come down for supper?"

"Sure." Jeonghan rolls her eyes a second time, tugging Wonwoo out of the kitchen and through the living room, to the stairs.

"Penny is their little angel," Jeonghan explains to Wonwoo, "but she's actually horrible and I hate her, she hates me, the works."

Wonwoo just nods, squeezing Jeonghan's hand gently. Jeonghan returns it, padding down the hall and rapping noisily on one of the doors.

_"What?"_

"Dinner." Jeonghan says flatly, standing with her hip jutting out to one side as she'd been before.

The door opens, and the girl Wonwoo saw at the park her first or second day here glares up at Jeonghan. The older girl shoots back a look that's twice as mean.

"You're a dyke now?" Penny gives Wonwoo a once-over before snorting, looking back at Jeonghan. Wonwoo's skin crawls.

"Yeah, but you're still unloved by everyone in your life, so there's no real winner here," Jeonghan deadpans, shrugging.

Penny flips Jeonghan off, walking past them and down the stairs. Jeonghan just turns, kissing Wonwoo fiercely.

"I hate them all so much," mumbles the shorter girl, one of her hands on Wonwoo's cheek, the other one still linked with Wonwoo's.

"Just come live with me," jokes Wonwoo between kisses.

"I wish," Jeonghan giggles softly, pulling back. "Okay, we gotta go back down or the whites will come searching for us."

"Anything but that." Wonwoo smiles slyly, following Jeonghan back downstairs.

 

 

  
"So, Wonwoo, where are you from?" Jeonghan's dad, a loud man who introduced himself as Gary, asks around a mouthful of food.

"I moved here from Compton, California," Wonwoo answers slowly, already sure of where this is going.

"Interesting. But, where is your family and such _originally_ from?"

"Uh..my mom and I were both born in Utah. My dad's lived in Cali his whole life. My granny lived in South Korea until, like, right before she had my mom. Then she moved here. If that's what you wanted me to tell you." Wonwoo sips her water, shrugging one shoulder. Jeonghan's father nods slowly, surveying Wonwoo.

"What's with the tattoos? Aren't you a little young for that?" are his next questions. Jeonghan slams her fork down on the table.

_"Dad."_

"It's fine," Wonwoo laughs quietly, nudging the older girl. "Uh, I don't really think so. I get what I like, I paid for all of them except for my very first one."

"Some of them are..interesting,” Helene says, distaste clear in her clipped tone. "What's that one on your middle finger?"

"I have one on both middle fingers. Wait, do I? Yeah, I do." Wonwoo looks at her hands, just to make sure.

"Your left."

Wonwoo goes very quiet, and Jeonghan glances over. She hadn't paid much attention to Wonwoo's hands in the past, beyond the rainbow on her left palm and the tiny hand, flipping the middle finger, on her right middle finger. But now, Jeonghan can see, on the inside of Wonwoo's left middle finger, is _M07316-900._

"That, uh. It's for my dad." Wonwoo says, clearly planning on leaving it at that when she reaches for her drink, but Jeonghan's parents aren't done.

"What does it mean?" queries Jeonghan's father.

"Dad, drop it," Jeonghan demands through her teeth.

"Uh, well, my dad's in federal prison. That's the prisoner number he was assigned, M07316-900. He's still serving back in California, so I got it for him," Wonwoo gives a tight-lipped smile.

Oh.

"Your dad's in _jail?_ " Penny laughs. Jeonghan lobs a slice of roasted potato at her younger sister while her parents are distracted.

"But, yeah. Anyways,” Wonwoo says it lightly, but her hand trembles when she reaches for her fork.

 

 

  
"For like, the billionth time, I'm _really_ sorry about dinner."

Wonwoo glances over at Jeonghan, eyebrows raising just slightly. "Don't worry about. It was more or less what I expected."

"Doesn't mean it wasn't shitty. They're horrible. I should've warned you a little better." Jeonghan closes the space between them on her couch, gently brushing Wonwoo's hair away from her face.

Wonwoo just shrugs, one of her hands sliding over onto Jeonghan's thigh as she leans in to kiss the older girl gently. Whatever they'd hardly been paying attention to on the TV is forgotten completely as Jeonghan scoots a little closer, one hand resting on top of Wonwoo's.

"Wonwoo. I thought you went _home_ already."

"Fucking Christ," mumbles Jeonghan, pulling away. "What? What do you want?"

Her mother crosses her arms, staring coldly at Wonwoo. Wonwoo shrinks slightly, withdrawing from Jeonghan completely.

"I don't like your attitude, young lady. I don't like how disrespectful you are." Jeonghan's mom glares at Wonwoo, who just listens silently, wide-eyed.

"Obviously you weren't raised correctly, if your mother allows you to get crude tattoos and talk to adults the way you do. I'm not surprised, I mean, your father's in prison. Because of all of this, and your inappropriate behavior with my daughter, I think you should leave, and I'd like for you to not come back into my home again."

"Right on," answers Wonwoo meekly, but Jeonghan fumes.

"What the fuck are you talking about, Mom? She wasn't being disrespectful, you and Dad were the ones asking all those fucking uncomfortable questions, how did you expect her to answer?" she jumps to her feet, eyes blazing. Wonwoo just sneaks over to where her shoes are lined up neatly by the door, flinching when the raised voices become full-blown shouting. She pulls her shoes on and just slips out into the night, sighing deeply as she walks back to her house.

Wonwoo can see the glowing end of a cigarette on her front porch. Her mother materializes out of the darkness as Wonwoo gets closer.

"So was it a shitshow?"

Wonwoo grunts, sitting beside her mother on the porch swing. "They asked where I was _from_ from, asked wasn't I too young for tattoos, they asked about Dad because I made the mistake of _fucking_ mentioning him in the first place, uh, and then I got kicked out and banned from Jeonghan's house forever for apparently being disrespectful and I was told by a white woman who considers white people jokes damaging that I'm not being raised right because you let me get tattoos and Dad's incarcerated and I had my hand on my girlfriend's thigh. Which is apparently too inappropriate. Even though we were alone. And she walked in. To yell at us. For making out. So. That's how that night fucking went."

 

 

  
_July 6, 9:37 a.m._

 **women. I Lo veWoemmN:**  
_so i told my mom about that bullshit last night_  
uh  
she's gonna go off  
pray for helene  
also  
record it

 **yoon john hamm:**  
_record wh_  
HJDKSF  
OH MY GISkdsiOFI  
wonwoo ur mom literally reincarnated me  
(video attached)  
SHE REALLY WENT OFF

 **women. I Lo veWoemmN:**  
_no one yells at my mom's kid but my mom sorry helene_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Can your mom, like, literally adopt me? Actually, no, that would be weird, we're dating, but. Helene's cancelled, your mom is my mom now." Jeonghan sits down beside Wonwoo in the shade of one of the trees lining the field where everyone except for Wonwoo, Jeonghan, and Seungcheol are currently playing (or at least, making an attempt at playing) soccer.

"Cool beans. She wants you to come over and have dinner with us tonight, you deserve to have delicious Korean food."

"Ugh, don't mention Korean food, my fat ass has been craving fuckin'.." Seungcheol trails off, frowning. "Shit. What's the word for it in English? _Ganjang-gejang_...ugh. Fuck. I can't translate it, help."

"Uh. Shit. Crab?" Wonwoo mumbles, only half paying attention as she scrolls through Twitter. A moment passes, then the younger snaps her fingers, giving a triumphant little hum. “ _Marinated_ crab. Got it."

"Yes! Fuck." Seungcheol groans.

"We don't have that because I'm a little _bitch_ about seafood, but Mom's making pork wraps and kimchi stew. She's gonna be back in Cali next week checking in with her parole officer and visiting my father, so she won't be here during my birthday, which means I'm getting celebration dinner early.” Wonwoo stretches her long arms over her head, joints popping audibly and making Jeonghan cringe.

"That sounds horrible."

"Leave my creaky ass alone, it felt great," Wonwoo laughs. "But anyways. I'd invite everyone over, but we can't cook enough food for that many people, so. The invitation's open to you guys. And maybe Soonyoung because he’s weird and I think someone needs to tell him to just become a drag queen already. And I want that someone to be me."

"You can bet your ass I'll be there, eating all your food," Seungcheol mumbles before going back to the job application she's been working on.

"Obviously I'll be there," Jeonghan leans her head on Wonwoo's shoulder. The younger girl shrugs that shoulder up, something she does specifically to annoy Jeonghan.

"You're literally the worst. Never mind. I'm never talking to you again." Jeonghan huffs, crawling over Wonwoo's legs, past Seungcheol so the oldest girl is between them. Jeonghan leans her head on Seungcheol's shoulder, and Seungcheol doesn't move.

"I'm gonna go pretend I don't suck at soccer now. Listen to Bitchin’ Camaro." Wonwoo jumps to her feet, almost tripping over them entirely before going to join Vernon's team.

"Slick, isn't she," mumbles Seungcheol, chuckling to herself.

"Fucking smooth criminal," responds Jeonghan. They sit in silence for at least ten minutes before she finally speaks up again, "Hey. I feel like I haven't seen much of you lately, what's up?"

"Uh. A lot. I gotta get a job. Other stuff." Seungcheol makes sure to shrug the shoulder Jeonghan isn't resting on.

"What other stuff?"

Seungcheol thinks of that day a week or so ago, when Wonwoo showed up at her house, so meek, nervous, thinks of the way her heart fluttered when they hugged.

"Um, nothing particularly riveting."

"You know I can tell when you're lying, right?"

"You'll get mad if I tell you."

"I'm honestly already madder because you aren't telling me."

Seungcheol laughs. "What do you want me to say? Saying it isn't worth the shit that comes with it."

"I'll just ask everyone else, someone's bound to know. You better pray if it's Joshua Hong. I couldn't toast a piece of bread with the heat it takes to get him to spill." Jeonghan crosses her arms.

"Oh my God, Jeonghan," Seungcheol groans. " _Fine_. I'm in love with my best friend and then I went and fell for her freaking girlfriend too. That's what it is."

Jeonghan stops short, a mixture of emotions passing over her face before a shout from the others draws both of their attention.

"Oh, shit," Wonwoo giggles lowly, one arm over Mingyu's shoulders as she stumbles back into the shade of their tree with his help. He lets her go and she promptly falls in a heap on the ground, panting.

"Jesus, what did you do?" Jeonghan goes to her. Wonwoo waves a hand vaguely.

"Headass fainted. That's what you get for wearing a hoodie in ninety-seven degree weather, you West Coast shit." Minghao drops the hoodie Wonwoo had been wearing previously in the grass beside the older girl. Wonwoo laughs weakly.

"It's so hot, I'm gonna fucking _puke_. This is how death feels."

"Oh my God." Jeonghan shakes her head. "Seungcheol, stay and make sure this dumbass doesn't have a stroke while I get my car so we can blast the AC."

Wonwoo grins dumbly at Seungcheol as Jeonghan gets up, running in the direction of their street.

 

 

  
"Do _not_ tell my mom I fainted."

"Your _dumb_ daughter fainted because she was wearing a _hoodie_ and _playing soccer_ in hundred-degree weather," Jeonghan announces as she leads an unsteady Wonwoo into her house, Seungcheol following.

"Or just tell her I fainted, you know, do whatever you want." Wonwoo sighs.

"Wonwoo!" her mother's voice comes from the living room, followed by a stream of rapid Korean that makes Seungcheol snort. Wonwoo flushes pinker than she'd already been in the first place, whining like a little kid before responding just as swiftly.

(“What are you, fuckin’ empty-headed?” 

“I just _fainted_ , don’t yell at me!”)

Wonwoo pulls away from Jeonghan to shuffle into the living room, only to yelp and collapse onto the floor after two steps.

"A whole headass," mutters Seungcheol. "Cramps are a symptom of heat exhaustion, sweetheart."

Wonwoo glares as viciously as she can from where she's clutching her thigh.

"Dumbass," snorts her mom, getting up to stroll to the kitchen and fill a glass with ice and water, bringing it back to the living room and waiting until Wonwoo finally relaxes to hand it to her.

"I'd say I've never hated my life this much, but like, the time Josh sent those pictures of me to the group chat happened, so. This runs a close third to that and fifth through tenth grade." Wonwoo remarks before taking a big gulp of water.

Jeonghan shakes her head. "I told you you were gonna faint one of these days."

 _"I told you you were gonna faint one of these days,"_ Wonwoo mocks weakly, screwing her face up.

"That's it. I'm leaving you for Seungcheol."

Wonwoo's expression is surprisingly warm, looking up at Jeonghan and Seungcheol. "I'm literally on my deathbed right now. I can't believe you."

"Don't be dramatic. Go take a cold shower." Her mom frowns at her. Wonwoo grunts, finishing her water and setting the glass on the coffee table before crawling towards the stairs clumsily. "I can't walk."

"Bless your heart." Seungcheol just picks Wonwoo up with only a little bit of difficulty and hoisting the younger girl over her shoulder to carry her up the stairs.

"I thought you were Jeonghan for a second and I was like, um Jeonghan can barely lift a pencil what the fuck is this," wheezes Wonwoo. Jeonghan gasps.

"You're literally the worst girlfriend ever."

Wonwoo grins at her, all her teeth showing and her nose crinkling adorably. Jeonghan pouts back.

Seungcheol sets Wonwoo down in the upstairs hallway, patting her cheek fondly. "Go shower, beanpole."

"Will you get me clean clothes?" Wonwoo asks Jeonghan as she loosely wraps her arms around Seungcheol's shoulders, leaning her cheek on top of the shorter girl's head.

"Yeah, 'course," Jeonghan smiles, kissing Wonwoo's pouting mouth as she passes by to the younger's bedroom. Seungcheol gently pushes Wonwoo off after a moment to follow, and Wonwoo just goes to the bathroom. Jeonghan grabs clothes from Wonwoo's dresser, setting it on the counter before leaving Wonwoo alone, going back to her girlfriend's room.

"I should probably go.." Seungcheol shuffles her feet awkwardly.

"No, stay," Jeonghan says too suddenly, and she wonders if that came off as completely weird and desperate, but Seungcheol's tentative smile whisks any of those thoughts out of her head.

Jeonghan sits on Wonwoo's bed, hugging a pillow absentmindedly. Seungcheol perches on the desk in the corner of Wonwoo's room, swinging her legs back and forth.

"We should talk to her about it, right?" Jeonghan eventually asks, tilting her head to the side. "Or at least, like, have a conversation. About this. I don't know. I don't want everyone wanting something different and ending up confused and with their feelings hurt. I love both of you guys."

Seungcheol laughs a little. "It's just selfish of me to say I want you both, isn't it? Especially if you already have each other?"

"I can't speak for Wonwoo, but I'd say that it's not selfish if that's what I want too." Jeonghan responds after a minute of careful, silent consideration. "Wonwoo is really great, but you – you're all I've ever known about love, at least, like this. I think I'm finally realizing that."

A grin slowly spreads across Seungcheol's face. Distantly, Jeonghan hears the shower cutting off, but she ignores it for now.

"You get what I'm saying? We both..want. It's okay. We'll figure it out," Jeonghan smiles. Seungcheol tucks her hair behind one ear, nodding shyly.

"You know, I always thought you'd like Vernon before realizing you like girls," Seungcheol jokes.

"Are you kidding? Friendzoning Vernon would've made my entire life up to this point worth it. I'm outraged he skipped that phase and went directly up Seungkwan's ass." Jeonghan laughs.

"Aw, but they're cute," giggles Seungcheol. "It's like Jihoon and Junhui all over again."

"Okay, well, when you put it like that, yeah." Jeonghan rolls her eyes, still smiling.

"What are we talking about?" Wonwoo walks in wearing the pajama shorts and black tank top Jeonghan gave her, squeezing her hair dry with a towel.

"How your legs go all the way up to your neck," answers Jeonghan, gently whacking Wonwoo with the pillow she'd been hugging.

"Leave me alone," Wonwoo laughs, swatting weakly at Jeonghan. The older girl just sits up on her knees, pulling Wonwoo in for a kiss. And it never fails to make Jeonghan grin, that starstruck look Wonwoo gets in her eyes, the way her perfect lips make a lazy upward curve, like she'd be content forever like this.

"You're so easy to cook on, though. I haven't forgotten your scene queen pictures."

"Fuck you!" Wonwoo throws her damp towel at Jeonghan, huffing. "That's not fair. Seungcheol, tell her it's not fair."

"The poor girl almost died today, give her a break," Seungcheol grins. Wonwoo crosses her arms, pouting childishly at Jeonghan.

"Okay, okay, sorry," Jeonghan coos, pressing kisses all over Wonwoo's face. Wonwoo turns, capturing Jeonghan's lips in another kiss.

"Hey, we wanna talk to you about something," murmurs Jeonghan. Wonwoo quirks her eyebrows slightly, looking back and forth between Jeonghan and Seungcheol.

"What is it?"

Jeonghan scoots back, patting the bed for Wonwoo to sit. The younger crawls onto the bed, hugging her knees to her chest.

"So." Jeonghan takes Wonwoo's hand, playing with her dainty fingers. "I like you so much, babe. And I like Seungcheol. And she likes us both. And – fuck, I have no idea how to word this."

"Oh, I already knew this." Wonwoo relaxes, waving her other hand vaguely. "I know what you're gonna ask, and yeah, I wanna."

"Wait, what? Really?" Seungcheol widens her eyes.

"You think this is my first polyamorous rodeo, brother? Okay, sorry, you’re my girlfriend, I won’t call you _brother_ , but I digress. It takes a lot of communication, yeah, but two girlfriends is always totally better than one.” Wonwoo grins. "Besides, you guys are kind of obvious."

"Really?" Jeonghan blushes a pretty pink.

"Mhm. Come cuddle me," Wonwoo holds her arms out, making grabby hands at the two older girls.

The day is still young, so if they waste some of it stretched out on Wonwoo's bed, talking and cuddling and kissing one another, it's okay.

Wonwoo's eyes are drooping thanks to Jeonghan's fingertips tracing up and down her back lightly, shirt pushed out of the way to expose her soft skin. Seungcheol had giggled upon discovering the tattoo on Wonwoo's right side; it's a Rosie the Riveter, drawn with Eastern Asian features like theirs, and the phrase 'We can do it!' is even written in Hangul.

"I think this one is my favorite," Seungcheol smiles, tracing the outline of the tattoo. Wonwoo shivers, letting out a high-pitched giggle.

"That tickles," she mumbles, cheeks pink. Seungcheol is reminded, suddenly, of how young Wonwoo really is. How young they all are, but really, Wonwoo. Seungcheol doesn't know Wonwoo's whole story, but honestly, anyone with eyes will know she's been through too much shit for a girl of barely seventeen. Here, with Wonwoo sandwiched between them, sleepy and pliant and giggling at everything, Seungcheol remembers that Wonwoo's only a teenager, like she is, and just as scared of this as she is.

"I love you both," Jeonghan suddenly says, lacing her fingers with Wonwoo's. "I want the best for all of us, okay?"

Wonwoo reaches back with her free hand, finding Seungcheol's. "Yeah. I love you guys too."

 

 

  
"It smells so good in here," Seungcheol moans as she follows Wonwoo into the kitchen where the former's mom is busy cooking.

 _"Mommyyyyy,"_ Wonwoo leans over her mom's shoulder, mumbling in Korean. Her mom just feeds her a bite of whatever she's stirring.

"This is almost done, be patient," Mom waves Wonwoo off. "There's kimchi and yellow radish in the fridge if you're _really_ starving. Don't eat it all though."

 

 

  
Jeonghan definitely learns to love kimchi. When it's late and she's full of delicious food, its spice warming her comfortably, Wonwoo and Seungcheol walk her home and kiss her goodnight on the front porch while her living room curtains twitch suspiciously. She doesn't care.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_July 10, 9:26 a.m._

**vodka mom:**  
_jeeves find my son  
chanathan maxamillion jr  
heir to my throne and all my worldly riches  
where is h e_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_what the fuck_

 **vodka mom:**  
_i raised u on my back dont what the fuck me_

 **vern the fern:**  
_uhH jeonghan  
i just caught ur gf making out with seungcheol in the park_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_woop there it is_

 **Actual Mom:**  
_insert that jay z cringing meme im too lazy to google_

 **vodka mom:**  
_vernon i. know  
anyways CHAN_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_Wow. I Truly have Seen It All  
what_

 **vodka mom:**  
_that's ma'am to you u horrible child_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_ma'am._

 **vodka mom:**  
_(:_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_wonwoo WHAT_

 **vodka mom:**  
_i'm gonna throat chop the next FUCKING person who interrupts me_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_nnnnghh. i am so hungover ,._

 **vodka mom:**  
_((((((,...,.,,,.:  
jeeves_

 **hong hong hong h:**  
_what_

 **vodka mom:**  
_go smother edward soonyoung kwon_

 **seok my dick:**  
_EDW_

 **vodka mom:**  
_anyways chan_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_yes ma'am_

 **vodka mom:**  
_are u my baby (((((:_

 **skateboard lee:**  
_die_

 **vodka mom:**  
_CHAN.  
ARE. YOU. MY. BABY._

**skateboard lee:**

_i._

_always and forever~_

_(image attached)_

**vodka mom:**  
_YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_

_HE EVEN SENT A SELFIE. WIG!_

**hit the kwon:**

_thats his hair fool_  

 

 

"It's almost two, wake _up_." Mingyu pulls Minghao's covers back, picking her up before she can hide under her bed. She's done it before.

"Fuck off," groans Minghao.

"Your mom literally told me to come wake you up because she couldn't. You've been asleep for...sixteen hours, Jesus Christ," Mingyu mumbles.

"I was going for twenty. Fuck you."

"Yeah, yeah." Mingyu carries Minghao to her bathroom, sitting her on the counter and smiling. "You have to contribute to society at least a little, Hao."

"Says who?" Minghao scowls even as she reaches for her toothbrush and toothpaste.

"Says the man." Mingyu smiles and steps back as Minghao hops off the counter, turning to face the mirror as she brushes her teeth. Mingyu gently combs Minghao's bright red locks, gathering them into a loose braid.

"The man can suck my ass." Minghao rinses her mouth out, glaring at Mingyu in the mirror.

"You're cute. Come on, Junhui made pancakes for everyone." Mingyu grins. He doesn't notice the blush spreading across Minghao's cheeks, her scowl deepening as Mingyu walks out of the bathroom.

 

 

  
"Morning, beautiful," Junhui teases as Minghao walks into her house, wearing one of Mingyu's hoodies and a pair of shorts.

"Morning," Mingyu grins. Minghao shoves him.

"Someone's grumpy because they couldn't sleep their life away," Mingyu pouts at Minghao, who scowls up at him.

"Oh, she's so angry," he coos.

"Gyu, you are the only person I've ever witnessed getting away with this," Junhui laughs, glancing back and forth between them.

"It's 'cause she loves me." Mingyu beams. Minghao whacks him in the gut before walking around the island into the kitchen.

Wonwoo, Seungcheol, and Jeonghan are all perched on the counter next to each other, watching Vernon pace back and forth in front of them.

"Vern. It's not that deep." Jeonghan throws a piece of fruit from on top of her pancakes at him.

"I'm confused," he whines, picking the fallen fruit up and throwing it out.

"Vernon. My dude. Monogamy is made up. This isn't new." Wonwoo says without looking up from her plate of pancakes.

"She's the smart one, listen to her," Jeonghan laughs.

"I'm serious. The concept of only committing to one person is totally fake," Wonwoo laughs. "Monogamy is a mostly-Western idea, fuck if I know how it started, but most of the world was polyamorous until, like, only a thousand years ago. Obviously polygamy can be kind of fucked up when it's creepy cult leaders taking a bunch of wives that are like fifteen years old, but this isn't that. Leave me and my two girlfriends alone."

"Never talk to me or my girlfriend or my girlfriend's girlfriend who is also my girlfriend again," Jeonghan chimes. Seungcheol giggles quietly, tipping her head back.

Vernon just blinks at them, dumbstruck.

"Wonwoo's actually right. We learned about some of that in World last year," Chan chimes from the kitchen table, where he's sitting in Soonyoung's lap.

"This is why you're my baby, Chan!" Jeonghan grins.

"That's _weird!_ " Chan responds loudly.

"Don't shout," groans Soonyoung.

"This is what you get for drinking half a bottle of Smirnoff. Suffer and learn from these mistakes." Chan leans back to kiss the top of Soonyoung's head, smiling.

"You're my boyfriend, you're supposed to empathize," Soonyoung grumbles.

"No, sorry. I can't empathize with headassery."

"Yep, that's my son." Jeonghan grins.

"I'm not your son!"

 

 

  
_July 10, 5:20 p.m._

 **vern the fern:**  
_do u guys remember the guy that sang the my little pony theme song during his graduation speech_

 **mingHOE:**  
_don't be rude josh is right here in this group chat_

 **hong hong hong h:**  
_you kNOW,  
i was gonna offer u guys some eighths half off  
but never mind_

 **wiggly noodle boy:**  
_no but actually i had to be that guy's lab partner last year  
he thought we were friends  
the poor white devil_

 **mingHOE:**  
_bAHAHA_

 **vern the fern:**  
_white men ruined that show for sofia its like actually Gross_

 **hong hong hong h:**  
_oh. oh gosh  
poor kid_

 **mingHOE:**  
_add bronies to the list of reasons i'll NEVER fuck with white men again  
speaking of sofia does she wanna go 4 girls' day with the rest of us tmr  
soonyoung ur also welcome to come if you aren't hungover_

 **vern the fern:**  
_ya ofc she wants to go  
also will soonyoung in drag make a return???????,_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_henk funken yeh  
also vernon hide ur desperation we all already know me in drag is the only girl you'll ever love_

 **vern the fern:**  
_funk u let me never try to encourage what u enjoy again  
GOD_

 **screamkwan:**  
_whoa there buddy im sensing some bitterness_

 **junwhee:**  
_did someone say soonyoung in drag ???????!!!!!!!!  
because i'm HERE FOR IT!!!!_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_i have to remember where i hid all my makeup lmao  
horace found all the stuff i had the first time and screamed at me and threw it out_

 **mingHOE:**  
_uHHHHHHHHHH  
whose fucking mans.  
demand reparations on his cracker ass_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_lmao he backhanded me the other night for coming home two minutes after curfew_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_what the fuck_

 **vodka mom:**  
_he. he what_

 **hit the kwon:**  
_okay,,,,,pretend i didn't say that.  
its fine whatever mom threatened to call the cops if he touched me again_

 **mingHOE:**  
_ive always lowkey wondered what killing a man would feel like_

 _i know where mingyu keeps his hunting knives_  

**wiggly noodle boy:**

_THAT’S WHY THEY’RE LOCKED AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!_

 

 

  
_"Don't,"_ Soonyoung mumbles when he climbs into Jeonghan's car the next day, ignoring the look Minghao's giving him and instead busying himself with grinning at Sofia, who's in the middle seat, as he buckles his seatbelt. Seungkwan and Jeonghan both watch from the front seats.

"He can't just–"

"Hao, don't. I don't wanna talk about it. Especially with Sof here. It's fine." Soonyoung shakes his head. "I'm fine."

Minghao crosses her arms, brow furrowed, but she's silent. She stares out the window the whole car ride to the mall. They meet up with Wonwoo, who drove there with Seungcheol and Junhui.

No one talks about it. Soonyoung doesn't miss their concerned looks, he just puts on a smile and pretends not to see them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Weirdest place you've ever eaten pussy. Go."

Wonwoo groans, scrunching her nose up in thought. "That's difficult, I've eaten pussy in a lot of places."

"Of course you have." Seungcheol grins. Wonwoo sips her milkshake, glancing around the food court as she thinks.

"Um. Okay. Backstage, in an empty dressing room, Icona Pop concert."

Seungcheol raises an eyebrow. "Surprisingly tame."

"Do you have anything better?" Wonwoo laughs, nudging Seungcheol's foot with hers under the table.

"No, I've eaten approximately four pussies and somehow they happened at sleepovers with girls who will never speak to me again." Seungcheol snorts, offering Wonwoo some of her ice cream. Wonwoo leans across the table to kiss Seungcheol instead, grinning as she pulls away.

"Damn. Well, you have me now, feel free to eat me out when and wherever you want," Wonwoo wiggles her eyebrows, laughing when Seungcheol gently shoves one of her shoulders.

"Don't be crude."

"What? I'll return the favor.” Wonwoo's grin returns, and Seungcheol shakes her head.

"The worst.." she mutters, trying not to giggle.

"Oh, the straights and the other two are back," Wonwoo mumbles as Jeonghan leans down to kiss her cheek from behind, tipping her chair back so she can tilt her chin up just a little and kiss the elder. "We were just talking about eating pussy, it was great."

"Sounds like it. No more hiding in the food court, you guys have to go actual shopping with us." Jeonghan perches in Wonwoo's lap, squishing the younger's cheeks until Wonwoo's making a dumb fish face.

"Do we have to?" whines Seungcheol, kicking her legs childishly. "I don't wanna."

"Sofia, tell her," Jeonghan waves her free hand at Sofia while also avoiding Wonwoo's attempts to kiss her.

"No, don't send Sofia after me," Seungcheol pouts. "That's unfair."

"Will you please go with us?" Sofia pouts, hugging Seungcheol around the neck.

"Hnnngh...fine.." Seungcheol sinks down in her chair, hugging Sofia around the middle all the same.

"It's all of us against you now, you gotta go," Jeonghan teases Wonwoo, letting her face go. Wonwoo sticks her tongue out, rubbing her cheeks.

"Fine."

 

 

  
"I hope you guys know there's no way I would _ever_ actually wear this. Ever. At all. No chance whatsoever."

Wonwoo's standing in front of the large mirror in the Forever 21 dressing room, dressed in tiny, frayed denim shorts and a pale yellow t-shirt that falls just a couple inches too short for her torso.

"Why? Yellow's your color," Seungkwan chimes, smiling.

"That wasn't why at all, it's like, everything else about this outfit."

"Afraid people will be freaked out by seeing how your legs go all the way up to your neck?" Jeonghan teases.

"Yes! That's my biggest insecurity!" Wonwoo stomps one foot lightly.

"You look cute!" Junhui insists, pouting.

"I mean, I guess, but I have a reputation to maintain."

"As what? The least intimidating lesbian ever?" Soonyoung snorts.

"Leave me alone, homo."

"Absolutely not, sappho."

Wonwoo shoots Soonyoung the finger. Jeonghan grins, "You're cute when you're annoyed."

"Me? Annoyed? Not at all," scoffs Wonwoo.

"Cancers. Such easy targets," Minghao says in a stage whisper to Seungcheol.

"I'm not an easy target!" Wonwoo whines, giggling a second later when Jeonghan stands up to hug her around the waist, doting on the younger with a fond smile.

Wonwoo grumbles quietly and leans down to kiss Jeonghan. "You're lucky I like your ass."

"Just my ass?"

”Well, also your–“

"There's a child here, keep it PG," Soonyoung reminds loudly.

"Right. Sorry.” Wonwoo grins sheepishly.

 

 

  
"Our friends are exhausting. Soonyoung in a dress was an experience," Wonwoo mumbles as she falls onto her bed, pulling Seungcheol with her.

"Gosh, that kid. I love him." Seungcheol gets more comfortable, leaning her chin on Wonwoo's sternum.

"It's kinda hard not to," agrees the younger, playing with Seungcheol's hair.

"Hey." Seungcheol sits up a little, elbows on either side of Wonwoo's narrow waist supporting her, "I like you lots."

"Mhm?" Wonwoo tips Seungcheol's chin down for a kiss, hooking one arm around her neck gently.

"I like you lots too." Wonwoo shifts, slides her long legs up and around Seungcheol's waist. They're stomach to stomach, chest to chest, lips to lips, Wonwoo's hands in Seungcheol's hair and her skin warm.

"I'm glad." Seungcheol smiles before Wonwoo captures her lips again, mouth still faintly sweet from the milkshake she'd drunk earlier. Wonwoo's tongue swipes out against Seungcheol's lower lip experimentally, but the elder opens her mouth right away, deepening the kiss that much more. Their teeth clash and both girls recoil, giggling as Seungcheol rests her forehead on Wonwoo's.

"Gosh, I really like you," Seungcheol murmurs, peppering Wonwoo's face with gentle kisses.

"I really like you too." Wonwoo beams, eyes sparkling joyfully up at the elder.

 

 

  
"I thought you said you'd never actually wear that ever," Minghao grins triumphantly, arms crossed.

Wonwoo pulls the hem of the yellow shirt down a little, glaring at Minghao. "Shut up."

"You look good!" Jeonghan insists as she jogs down her front walkway, sandals slapping on the pavement as she comes to join them on the curb.

"All my other clothes were dirty," Wonwoo dismisses lamely.

"You're literally not even trying," Minghao accuses.

"Fine, you're right, I just felt like wearing it." Wonwoo messes with a loose string on her shorts, smiling faintly.

"God, I love being told I'm right," Minghao sighs. Jeonghan snorts, "Me too, sis."

"Do you have a tramp stamp?" Jeonghan asks as she sits down beside Wonwoo.

"Totally. It's my cat's name." Wonwoo grins.

"You are unbelievable," Jeonghan laughs incredulously, playing with Wonwoo's hair.

"I think it's great." Wonwoo beams at Jeonghan. "Barb is a dwarf cat and I love her with my whole lil' heart."

Jeonghan just laughs, shakes her head.

"What is up, my dudes?" Vernon strolls up, hands in his pockets. Vernon, unfortunately, is the breed of teenage boy that wears Nike crew socks and slides, and upon noticing this Minghao makes a retching noise.

"No wonder Seungkwan will never date you, look at what you're wearing," she comments. Vernon laughs.

"Seungkwan would never date me either way, brother."

"Fair enough," snorts Minghao.

"I can't believe you're all so mean to each other.." Seungcheol shakes her head, walking from the direction of the pool. She's wearing a lavender bikini and a sheer white cover-up, cheeks rosy from the sun and hair in wet curls.

"I mean well, honestly." Minghao smooths her skirt, fluttering long, thick lashes at Seungcheol.

"We know you do, Hao."

Minghao smiles to herself, clasping her hands together and holding them daintily in her lap. Seungcheol sits down on Wonwoo's other side, smiling and leaning up to press a kiss to Wonwoo's lips.

"Hi," mumbles Wonwoo, leaning closer to her girlfriend. "Mm, you wanna chill tonight? Jeonghan's ditching me."

Jeonghan rolls her eyes, pinching Wonwoo's side. "I already planned to hang out with Vern anyways, dork."

"No, it has to be all about _me_ , all the time." Wonwoo responds dryly, shaking her head stubbornly. Jeonghan just kisses the younger.

"Same," Junhui laughs as she approaches hand-in-hand with Jihoon, Mingyu following lankily.

"Hey, bring your massive melon head over here." Minghao flaps a hand at Mingyu, pouting. He bends down to allow her to whisper in his ear, laughing when she's done.

"No, Hao." Mingyu wraps his arms around the smaller girl, lifting her up easily. Minghao squeaks, toes hovering over the ground as she throws her arms around Mingyu's neck.

"Mm. Yeah. You guys definitely aren't dating,” Vernon comments.

"Tell me how far you're getting with Seungkwan, again?" Mingyu quirks an eyebrow. Vernon turns as red as the brilliant sunset, glowering at the elder.

"Shut up."

"Thought so." Mingyu sets Minghao down, smirking at Vernon. The younger readies a glare, but it comes off as more of a sulky pout than anything.

"Leave my son alone," Jeonghan defends, standing up to hug Vernon. "I raised you all, be nice to each other."

”We’re probably so mean to each other _because_ you raised us.” Vernon blinks at Jeonghan.

 

 

  
Wonwoo's car is parked in a front corner of the neighborhood that few visit often. She leaves the car on so the AC can blow, and she can connect her phone to the aux cord, playing quiet music. She jokes that it'll probably kill her battery, but whatever.

Seungcheol and Wonwoo are stretched out in the back of the car; they put the seats down for more space, a blanket spread over the expanded trunk floor.

Wonwoo is sensitive, Seungcheol learns, when she slides a hand up the younger's shirt and her fingertips brush over the subtle swell of Wonwoo's breast, Wonwoo breathes out a tiny moan, back arching.

"Do you have your nipples pierced?" Seungcheol asks, feeling the outline of a little metal bar through Wonwoo's thin bra.

"Mhm," Wonwoo kisses Seungcheol again briefly before pulling back to tug her shirt over her head, mussing up her hair in the process.

"Ignore that I have less boobs than most preteens, thanks." Wonwoo shrugs off her bra, which is really just a thin scrap of black satin.

"Cupcakes is still cakes." Seungcheol smiles, kissing Wonwoo's neck and moving down further, taking one of Wonwoo's nipples between her lips. The bar pierced through it is warm from Wonwoo's body heat, and she whimpers when Seungcheol gives the gentlest of tugs with her teeth. Seungcheol takes her time, going back and forth between both of Wonwoo's soft brown nipples until her skin is tinged pink, a hickey or two marking her breasts.

Wonwoo is so sensitive, cheeks flushed and her hands tugging Seungcheol's hair gently, hushed, high moans leaving her mouth. Seungcheol moves back up to her lips, swallowing down Wonwoo's moans.

"Can I eat you out?" Seungcheol murmurs, mouthing down to Wonwoo's jaw.

"Huh – I haven't shaved," Wonwoo mumbles, tilting her head back.

"I didn't really expect you to, baby." Seungcheol chuckles.

"Mmm," Wonwoo kisses her again. "Yeah, I want you to."

"Okay," Seungcheol grins, kissing all the way down Wonwoo's long torso until she reaches the waistband of her shorts. Wonwoo helps get them and her panties off, sitting with her thighs pressed together self-consciously.

Seungcheol kisses Wonwoo's knee, coaxing her slender legs apart slowly. Wonwoo lies back, arms hiding her face.

"You're so pretty," Seungcheol kisses her thigh, grinning at the way the younger squirms.

 _"Seungcheol,"_ Wonwoo whines breathlessly, hands moving to the elder's hair. Seungcheol laughs, presses a light kiss to Wonwoo's clit and earns a little shudder from the younger.

Wonwoo moans loudly, shamelessly, when Seungcheol flicks her tongue over her clit.

"Noisy, aren't you?" Seungcheol teases, pressing more kisses to Wonwoo's thighs.

"Shut up," breathes Wonwoo, and Seungcheol just knows she's blushing, and it makes a grin spread across her face.

"Are you a screamer?" she asks conversationally.

"Why don't you find out?" there's a tinge of impatience, desperation in Wonwoo's voice as she runs her fingers through Seungcheol's hair, dull nails gently scraping the elder's scalp. Seungcheol laughs, puts her lips back on Wonwoo's pussy. Her tongue swipes insistently, slick noises drowned out by the younger girl's moans. Wonwoo's thighs try to close, hips jumping slightly, but Seungcheol hums, running her hands up the younger's long legs and gently pushing them apart once more.

" _God_ , Seung – fuck, _theretherethere againagainagain_ ," Wonwoo's voice grows higher, back arching off of the blanket and her hand yanking on Seungcheol's hair. Seungcheol hums, using one hand to rub gentle circles on the younger girl's clit.

Wonwoo claps a hand over her mouth, eyes widening as slowly passing headlights illuminate the car. Her thighs tremble as she cums, closing around Seungcheol's head until she's done, little jolts still running through her as the elder leans up to kiss Wonwoo.

"I didn't get to find out," pouts Seungcheol, mouth glossy in the moonlight streaming through the open sunroof. For a moment, the only noise is Wonwoo’s heavy breathing, and Seungcheol admires the way her chest rises and falls, the faint light streaming into the car casting grey shadows across Wonwoo’s thin frame. 

Finally, Wonwoo sits up on her elbows. Her expression is sweet, lazy, cheeks pink and pupils blown wide. Adoration leaks from her smile, the little glimpse of teeth Seungcheol gets. 

“Next time?” Wonwoo giggles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midnight.

"Happy birthday," Jeonghan whispers, lifting her head from Wonwoo's chest to press a gentle kiss to the younger's lips.

"I'm the dancing queen now." Wonwoo smiles, humming the tune of the ABBA song.

"That's right." Jeonghan grins, ridiculously fond. She lays her head back on Wonwoo's chest. "I know I'm technically still seventeen, but. Gosh. It was such a good year."

"I liked sixteen. My mom got out of jail right before my birthday," Wonwoo replies softly, playing with Jeonghan's hair. "She 'n my dad had been in since I was, like, eleven. My dad's still in, but you know that."

"You've had it rough, haven't you?" Jeonghan asks gently.

"I guess. I dunno, I don't want people to feel bad for me or blame my mom or anything. I mean, like, fuck my dad, he can suck my fucking toe, but Mom's doing her best," Wonwoo mumbles. "I lived with my grandmother until she got out, it wasn't bad or anything. Just a lot of not knowing things. No one told me anything, I was too young to them."

"You're, like, a thirty year-old at heart," Jeonghan chuckles.

"You're telling me–"

Glass breaking. Shouting.

"Hang on." Jeonghan sits up. Wonwoo does the same, and they sit there in silence, ears straining for any noise.

More shouting.

"Fuck, that sounds like Soonyoung's fucking stepdad," Jeonghan utters, getting out of the bed and slipping on her sandals, waiting on Wonwoo to follow before booking it down the stairs and out the front door.

Soonyoung's standing in his front yard, mouth bloodied, watching in wide eyed shock as his stepfather screams incoherently, throwing miscellaneous belongings of Soonyoung's out of the front door.

Jeonghan runs directly into Chan, who's holding one foot off the ground, wincing if he puts weight on it.

"Chan! What happened, what did he do?" Jeonghan asks shrilly.

"Fuck, I was sneaking in and his stepdad fucking busted in," Chan answers shakily. "He – he didn't touch me, I just landed wrong climbing out of the window, but fuck, he's fucking losing it, he's kicking Soonyoung out–"

"Whoa, okay, shh, it'll be okay, I promise," Jeonghan reassures.

"How the fuck is it gonna be okay?" Chan's voice cracks, shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Fucking ungrateful child! Tired of your fucking shit!" Soonyoung's stepfather screams in Soonyoung's face, "Sneaking your fucking boyfriend in? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Soonyoung's jaw works angrily, but he's silent, eyes following his mother's husband closely. Lights in surrounding houses are turning on by now, neighbors coming out to see what the trouble is.

"What's happening?" Mingyu walks up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes.

"Soonyoung's stepdad's fucking losing it," Jeonghan mutters.

"Shouldn't someone stop him?" Vernon approaches with a frown, chewing on his lower lip.

"Let's not risk getting between them now." Seungcheol mumbles from beside Wonwoo. The younger jumps, unsure of when Seungcheol had even gotten there.

"You want to sneak people into my fucking house? You won't fucking live here anymore! You hear that? You're not fucking welcome here, how about go stay with your little faggot boyfriend?" Soonyoung's stepdad sneers, nose to nose with the boy, and that's the last straw. Soonyoung spits a mouthful of blood in the man's face, whatever he yells back drowned out by the flurry of fists he's met with.

"Oh, fuck," Mingyu mumbles.

"Okay, now we get between them," Seungcheol mumbles, but before she can go try and pull Soonyoung away, Vernon and Mingyu jog over, breaking the two apart. Soonyoung's stepdad lands a stray punch on Vernon, who grunts, "Fucker!" and shoves the man away hard, holding his bleeding nose.

"Soon, calm down, relax, please just calm down," Mingyu pleads, keeping the shorter male from reaching past him.

"Fucking hell," Vernon groans, tipping his head back. "I'm fine, it's cool."

"Vernon!" Jeonghan huffs, hurrying over to check on him.

"Should someone call the cops?" Seungcheol mumbles.

"Unless someone has already, no. Soonyoung's holding weed, if they look through the shit in his room he's in big trouble," answers Wonwoo lowly.

"Oh, he learned that lesson ages ago, we keep our shit in Vernon's garage now," Joshua chimes, almost conversationally, as he strolls over with Seokmin, brows knitted together in worry.

"Fair enough. Yeah, call the cops," Wonwoo shrugs. “Didn’t realize this shit happens in white suburbs too.”

"Mhm," Minghao answers, walking from Junhui's house hand in hand with the latter. "A scaled-down version of this happened a while ago. I can't remember why, but the guy had a huge meltdown and almost booted Soonyoung."

"She's right," Chan mutters, sitting on the sidewalk and rocking back and forth slightly.

"Yo, why don't you come inside for just a minute," Wonwoo coaxes quietly, "We can take care of your foot and you can get your thoughts in order. By the time you come back out maybe things will be a little less chaotic, okay?"

Chan looks up at Wonwoo, then at Soonyoung, who's sitting on the curb just like him, then back at her. Finally, he nods, so Wonwoo helps Chan up, leading him back to her house.

"I think I just twisted it," Chan mumbles, seated on the kitchen counter.

"Better than it being broken, I suppose. Are you okay?" Wonwoo asks as she carefully unravels an Ace bandage around his ankle.

"Yeah. 'm fine."

"No, are you okay?"

Chan hesitates. The intensity of Wonwoo’s gaze on him shares understanding she doesn’t need to voice. Wonwoo knows what it’s like, how it feels being caught in the middle. 

"No," he admits, letting out a shuddering sigh. "I can't even help him, I – we don't have room at my house for him to stay, not that my parents even let me have guests anyways. I'm useless, I hate it. I couldn't even help just now, when he was getting the shit kicked out of him. What kind of boyfriend does that make me?"

"Would you want him putting himself in danger to help you, in a situation like that?"

"No, but–"

"Then, case closed. You don't have to be the hero. We’re still only kids."

Chan nods slowly, sniffling. Wonwoo places a warm hand on his cheek, wiping away his tears with the pad of her thumb. She has a rainbow tattooed on her palm, Chan notices when she takes her hand away.

"Whenever you're ready to go back out, go ‘head." Wonwoo smiles, turning away to start a pot of coffee. "I don't suppose we're getting much sleep tonight."

 

 

  
"Fuck, _fuck_ , babe, are you okay?" Soonyoung gathers Chan into a crushing hug as the younger limps back out. "I'm so sorry, I'm so so _fucking_ sorry, I love you, I swear I love you so fucking much–"

"I'm fine," Chan reassures in a whisper, pressing his face into the crook of Soonyoung's neck. "I love you too."

And they stay like that, wrapped up in each other, until cop cars arrive, blue and red flashing lights turning the street purple.

 

 

  
"Uh, so I'm not staying there. He got arrested for, you know, kicking the shit out of me, and she lost custody for letting him kick the shit out of me. There's no way I'm moving to New York to live with my dad, so I'm getting emancipated. I'll figure the rest out as I go." Soonyoung sits down on the curb outside the gas station, between Chan and Joshua.

"Are you even able to get emancipated?" Jeonghan asks, worry evident on her face.

"Yeah, I talked to an officer about the requirements. You have to be at least fourteen; I'm seventeen, it's only a year till I'm an adult anyways. I don't want to live with my parents, and they clearly don't mind if I'm on my own. I got a job at the fuckin' mall last week, so that's a legal way to make money. I can handle my own money. Mostly. And lastly, emancipation would definitely be good for me." Soonyoung lists everything off, counting each one on his bruised fingers.

"What about a place to live?" Chan frowns.

"I'm working on that one."

"You can stay with me," Junhui and Mingyu offer simultaneously. They look at each other for a moment and then both open their mouths to talk again.

"You go," Mingyu mumbles, offering a small smile. Junhui beams in return before looking back at Soonyoung.

"You can stay with us, at least until you find a place. You know Mom and Mama won't mind. Plus, it could show in your favor if you pay rent and stuff, it means you can manage your money properly." Junhui twirls a strand of hair around her pointer finger, "I doubt Mom would even make you pay rent, but, y'know."

Soonyoung nods, a smile growing on his face.

"I was gonna say basically the same thing, Aunt Dee might make you help with the animals or something in exchange for a room, but nothing backbreaking." Mingyu shrugs his shoulders.

"Thank you guys," Soonyoung laughs slightly, ducking his head and wiping his eyes. "Really, thanks so much. I fuckin' love you all."

"Aw, we love you too.” Vernon slings an arm around Soonyoung's shoulders, grinning. "Don't cry."

"Fuck, that reminds me, is your nose okay?" Soonyoung looks over at his best friend, frowning.

"Yeah, it's not broken, so I'll be fine." Vernon beams.

"You shouldn't have gotten between us, dumbass!" Soonyoung shakes his head. "You can't go getting punched for me and shit."

"Uh, too late, I did it." Vernon shrugs. "And I'll do it again. Fight me."

Soonyoung shakes his head, gently shoving Vernon's shoulder. The younger just beams back at Soonyoung.

Chan leans his head on Soonyoung's shoulder, his hand finding the other's and lacing their fingers together. Soonyoung smiles a little, squeezing Chan's hand gently and turning to kiss the top of the younger's head.

Maybe it'll all be alright.

 

 

  
"I seriously don't understand how your parents have no clue that you smoke weed," Seokmin mumbles, taking the joint from between Joshua's lips and hitting it.

"Hey," Josh whines, snuggling closer to Seokmin on the younger's bed. "Get your own."

"I'm your boyfriend, am I not entitled to your weed now?" Seokmin teases.

"You're my boyfriend?" Joshua grins, nosing at Seokmin's cheek and pressing lazy kisses to the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah," Seokmin turns so he can kiss Joshua properly, feeling the elder start beaming against his mouth.

"I like that. Now give me my damn J back, that's got my favorite strain in it," Josh complains, reaching for the joint still held in Seokmin's fingers.

"You're such a fucking pothead," Seokmin laughs, moving his mouth to Joshua's throat as the elder smokes again.

"I'm married to weed,” Joshua responds thickly, voice strained from holding in the smoke.

"Oh my God, you sound like Vernon."

Joshua laughs, loud and musical, at that. Seokmin grins, nipping lazily at the column of Joshua's throat.

"Fuck, no marks, if my parents get the idea that I'm fucking you they'll send me to Jesus camp."

"But it's okay if we make out sometimes?"

"Yep. They think it's a phase," Joshua laughs.

"Good to know," Seokmin mumbles, chuckling and kissing Joshua again.

"I've already accepted that I'm going to Hell, anyways," Joshua utters, the smile still there in his voice.

"Which do you think is hotter? South Carolina or Hell?"

"Uh, I think the answer is C, all of the above and also Lee Seokmin." Joshua rolls over so he's resting on top of Seokmin, weight settled comfortably on the younger's abdomen. He hits the joint again before offering it to Seokmin again, resting his chin on the latter's sternum.

"Slick." Seokmin snorts, taking the joint.

"It's my middle name.” Josh attempts to wink, but he just ends up blinking both eyes, and Seokmin bursts into giggles, tipping his head back.

"It's actually Jisoo," Joshua giggles dumbly.

"Oh, bless your little heart, you're so cute." Seokmin sits up a little so he can kiss Joshua's forehead, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy's middle and squeezing him gently. Joshua just hums, dropping his head to Seokmin's chest, and they stay there, warm and lazy, for the rest of the afternoon.

 

 

  
"Can I ask you something?"

"No."

Mingyu shoots Minghao a look, and she sighs. "Fine. What."

"Why aren't we dating?" Mingyu sits up from the blanket they set out in his backyard, glancing over at Minghao, who sits up as well, taking off her sunglasses to look at him.

"Seriously. We act like a couple anyways.” Mingyu shrugs.

"Who says I like you?" Minghao raises an eyebrow, but there's color creeping into her cheeks.

"Fair question, but don't you?" Mingyu leans back on his hands. "Also, I'm essentially your boyfriend already, you have, like, all of my hoodies."

"How does that count?"

"Uh, I'm probably never getting them back, that's how."

"Fair enough." Minghao tilts her head to the side. "We aren't dating 'cause you never asked me out, I guess."

"What if I was waiting on you to ask me out?"

"You'd still be waiting and we'd never be dating, big guy. I could never swallow my pride long enough to do that."

"Oh my God." Mingyu rolls his eyes, "Minghao, will you go out with me?"

"Let me think on it." Minghao examines her nails, and Mingyu scoffs quietly, waiting with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, sure," Minghao finally says, squealing when Mingyu pulls her closer and kisses her cheek.

"If you mess up my fucking makeup, Kim Mingyu, I swear to God!" Minghao threatens, but she's giggling and putting her arms around Mingyu's neck so she can kiss him, and everything is definitely alright right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In his freshman year, Mingyu kissed Soonyoung in the locker room when they were supposed to be running around the track in gym class. Mingyu was only an inch taller than Soonyoung, and wore dorky glasses, but Soonyoung's hair was horrendously flippy and he had braces, so it was okay.

Soonyoung was gay. Everyone knew that; it's not as if Soonyoung had ever been in the closet. But Mingyu was tentative, young and unsure of himself.

Soonyoung asked him, one day, when they were tucked away in Mingyu's room under the guise of cramming for midterms, kissing each other nervously on top of Mingyu's dark blue duvet. His mother smiled at them from a family photo on Mingyu's nightstand.

"I don't think I'm gay," Mingyu mumbled, tucking his head into the juncture of Soonyoung's neck.

"Bisexual, maybe?" Soonyoung had responded, not even fazed.

"Yeah, bisexual," Mingyu nodded, lifted his head for another kiss from Soonyoung.

"That's cool," murmured Soonyoung. "Vernon's bi too. Oh, wait, fuck, forget I told you that, it was supposed to be a secret. Not that he's very subtle about it anyways."

Mingyu laughed, thinking about Vernon, who was in his grade and Soonyoung's very best friend, though Mingyu didn't know much about him other than that and the fact that they lived on the same street.

"Anyways. I like you." Soonyoung's fingers crept up the outside of Mingyu's thigh to rest on his hip, and the elder pulled Mingyu closer to kiss him again.

Mingyu swore his heart skipped a beat every time Soonyoung looked at him, and god forbid Soonyoung hold his hand or kiss him on the lips, Mingyu swore it was like mini cardiac arrest.

Xu Minghao hated Mingyu in freshman year. Well, she'd hated him since she moved there, four years earlier, but freshman year, it seemed like she really hated him. Heavily-lined eyes always glaring in his direction, her mulberry-colored lips spitting out a, "Fuck off," any time Mingyu talked to her. Xu Minghao made Mingyu that much more sure of Kwon Soonyoung and how much he loved him.

 

 

  
In his sophomore year, Mingyu shot up to six-foot-four, started working harder on his aunt and uncle's farm until he had at least a little more muscle, got contacts instead of glasses. Soonyoung, exactly the same other than the fact that he finally got his braces taken off, would always look up at Mingyu in wonder, disbelieving that his sweet-cheeked high school love had suddenly become a young man.

Deep down, Mingyu knew it wouldn't last. Maybe because Soonyoung would never really understand the magnitude with which Mingyu loved him, the inexperienced, boyish warmth that ignited in his stomach around Soonyoung.

No one ever knew about them. Mingyu was okay with that, and so was Soonyoung. They didn't have to broadcast it to know it was real.

However, it made it that much easier for either of then to move on, when the time came. And the time came, alright; in the form of an awkward, chubby-cheeked, bright-eyed freshman named Lee Chan.

He moved there early sophomore year. They met him at homecoming; Jeonghan was leading the group towards the forgotten soccer field over the hill behind the school, homecoming game forgotten. She was rambling on to Seungcheol and Minghao about the latest boy she was seeing, and everyone was pretending not to see Seungcheol occasionally rolling her eyes when Jeonghan wasn't looking. Soonyoung wasn't holding Mingyu's hand.

There he was, sitting under one of the goals, earbuds in, phone screen illuminating his face.

"Hey! Kid! What's your name?" Jeonghan practically snapped at him, all mean and senior-y and reeking of her poorly-disguised hatred for underclassmen. ("Except for you guys, you're okay," she'd reassured Seokmin and everyone younger than him once.)

"Uh, Chan. Lee," he'd stuttered, voice soft and higher than Mingyu expected. And Soonyoung's warmth disappeared from Mingyu's side, he left to bend down to Chan's height.

"Don't mind her. Want some gummy worms?" Soonyoung had grinned so widely his eyes turned into upturned crescents, holding out the bag of candy he'd bought from the concession stand earlier. And Chan had seemed so enchanted by Soonyoung from the very start, Mingyu couldn't argue with that kind of fate. By the end of the night, Soonyoung and Chan were holding hands, and Mingyu went home and cried into his pillow.

Sohpomore year, Xu Minghao finally started being nice to Mingyu. Maybe she had an epiphany. Who knows.

"It's 'cause she thinks you're hot," Seungkwan had informed Mingyu in English when they were supposed to be reading Hamlet in groups of three but their third person, Vernon, was out having a mental breakdown and Seungkwan and Mingyu simply were more in the mood to feel sorry for themselves than to decipher Shakespearean language.

"Good to know," Mingyu mumbled glumly, eyes raking over the words in his book without processing any of them.

"I know...kinda shallow, but she's nice. I promise. You just gotta get on her good side." Seungkwan looked up at him.

"I didn't do anything to end up on her bad side," laughed Mingyu.

"You've got a point there. Well, you know, maybe you two could work it out. You've been all mopey since homecoming, did something happen?" Seungkwan queried, doodling in the corner of a page in her notebook.

"Nope. Just tired," lied Mingyu.

 

  
Okay, so maybe Minghao wasn't that bad. She had freckles and a cute laugh and even though the only reason she liked to harass Mingyu for hugs in the morning was because he smelled nice and she knew all the girls with their eyes on him were watching, there was something about her that made Mingyu feel like sticking around to see what happened.

Mingyu didn't really intend to tell Minghao about his parents. But it was his father's birthday, and he couldn't stop crying silently in the middle of watching a movie in biology, and she was the only one who noticed the tear tracks glittering on his face in the low lighting, so when she told the teacher they were walking to the vending machine at the end of the hall and grabbed Mingyu's hand and pulled him out of the classroom, he told her all of it, everything that had been threatening to overflow his heart finally spilling out.

And Minghao had hugged him so tightly, on her tiptoes, Mingyu's face tucked into her neck, and she'd whispered, "I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry."

And they both knew it meant she was sorry for a lot more than either of them would ever look back on.

Sure, Soonyoung was still a dull ache in the back of Mingyu's mind and the front of his heart, but he could never be mad, that would just be selfish. Not when Soonyoung grinned that way at Chan, not when Chan held Soonyoung's hand all the time and Mingyu knew that took a lot of love, because Soonyoung's hands were sweaty.

Besides, for all she had to grow, mature, for all the temper and attitude squeezed into a girl of only five feet tall, Minghao was too good to let go.

 

 

  
Mingyu thinks about this, fleetingly, as he and Minghao are playing a game of chicken against Soonyoung and Chan in the pool. Minghao's on his shoulders, and she's giggling furiously as Chan tickles her sides, squealing, "That's foul play! Stop it, brat!"

Soonyoung splashes some water at Mingyu, grinning wickedly, and Mingyu drops his jaw.

"You're dead, Kwon," he threatens, and the moment Minghao defeats (or, rather, is allowed to defeat) Chan and they swim away to relax in the shallow end, Mingyu gets his revenge, dunking Soonyoung under the water and laughing when the older comes back up, spluttering loudly.

"Fucker!" Soonyoung pulls Mingyu into a headlock, wrangling the taller playfully until the lifeguard blows his whistle at them and they part, still splashing water at each other.

"That's not gay in the slightest," comments Vernon from where he's sitting at the edge of the pool, legs dipped into the clear water.

"You're not gay in the slightest," retorts Soonyoung lamely, splashing Vernon as well.

"Aw, man. You really got me,” Vernon responds blandly, wiping water droplets off of his face. Soonyoung shoots him a thumbs up before going to bother Chan again, and Mingyu climbs out of the pool, shaking his hair out like a wet dog.

"You splashed me, fuckhead." Jeonghan complains, sitting up in her lounge chair to lower her sunglasses and glare at him. Mingyu wipes away fake tears and pouts at her, grabbing his towel from the bag Junhui packed for them all.

"Wanna walk with me for slushies?" Minghao asks as she walks over, gently pulling on Mingyu's arm.

"Does walking with you mean I'm actually gonna give you a piggyback ride like halfway there and the whole way back?" Mingyu asks, raising an eyebrow. Minghao just grins back at him, wringing her hair out before gathering it up into a bun.

"Yes, I'll go with you," sighs Mingyu.

"You're the best," Minghao gleams, drying off before taking Mingyu's discarded t-shirt from the chair where he left it, pulling it on over her bikini to serve as a cover-up.

"I know I am," Mingyu replies, pulling his shoes on and waiting on Minghao to do the same.

"Anyone wanna come with? We're not bringing back slushies for you fuckers," Minghao announces.

"We'll go!" Chan volunteers, tugging on Soonyoung's hand.

"I'm always a slut for slushies," Soonyoung slings his arm around Chan's shoulders, and after a second of everyone getting situated, they leave together, walking in the direction of the path to the gas station.

 

 

  
"We thought you disappeared, Wonwoo, Jesus Christ."

Wonwoo's form doesn't move from under her comforters. Jeonghan glances over at Seungcheol, brows knit together in worry.

"Is she even awake?" Jeonghan mumbles, approaching Wonwoo's bed and carefully pulling back the blanket. Wonwoo's eyes are shut, hair falling over her face as she sleeps. She's wearing the same shirt as she had two days previously.

"Has she seriously been sleeping for two fucking days?" whispers Jeonghan, stepping back.

"Should we wake her up?" Seungcheol frowns.

"What the hell happened?" Jeonghan mumbles, shifting from foot to foot nervously. Her voice is loud enough to wake Wonwoo, who stirs, a sleepy noise escaping her.

"Jesus, Wonwoo." Jeonghan clutches her heart when the younger sits up abruptly, rubbing her temples. Wonwoo ignores her, fumbling all over the bed until she finds her phone tucked under a pillow. She rubs one hand down the side of her face while the other hand dials a number into her phone, and Wonwoo holds one finger up to Jeonghan and Seungcheol, indicating for them to wait as she holds her phone to her ear.

"Hey. Don't yell," she whines, "I've just been doing a lot of shit. You know I never check my phone. Yes, I'm eating. Yes, I'm taking my meds – no, I'm not lying. How's California?"

She's silent for a moment, listening to who Jeonghan only assumes is her mom on the other end. Wonwoo hugs her skinny legs up to her chest, tracing her fingertip over the tattoo on the top of her right foot.

"It's still hot as hell here, nothing new," Wonwoo mumbles. More talking on the other end.

"Okay, I'll tell them you asked. Tell Granny and Seulgi I miss them. Love you too. Bye," Wonwoo mutters before hitting the end button on her phone and dropping it on the bed beside her.

"I'm so tired," she sighs even as she rolls out of bed, shuffling past Seungcheol and Jeonghan and down the stairs. They share a look before following.

"Uh, care to explain?" Jeonghan asks quietly as she enters the kitchen. Wonwoo's in the middle of tossing back a cocktail of pills, chasing them with water.

"Explain what? I'm mentally ill, that's it." Wonwoo laughs, gathering all the orange pill bottles back up and sticking them into a cabinet. The pills in each bottle rattle, because Wonwoo's hands tremble, but she doesn't mention it, and neither do they.

"Are you gonna eat anything?" Seungcheol asks.

"Nope. I'm going back to sleep," Wonwoo sighs, reaching one hand under her shirt to unhook her bra and pull it out through one sleeve after a second. "See you guys later."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You're an idiot," Seungkwan mumbles as she carefully pours hydrogen peroxide over Vernon's bloody knees.

"I think my kneecaps are. Shattered. I fell so hard." Vernon examines the nasty scrapes on his knees, quietly hissing through his teeth when the peroxide foams.

"I don't think your kneecaps are shattered. You hit your head pretty hard though." Seungkwan raises an eyebrow. Vernon waves a hand.

"I know what a concussion feels like, this is nothing." He leans forward to look at the scrapes on his knees again. "God. I'm a whole idiot."

"You and Soonyoung both.” Seungkwan rolls her eyes, grabbing a washcloth and wetting it to carefully wipe the blood off of Vernon's knees. He whines, squirming away, but Seungkwan flicks his forehead, mumbling, "Sit still."

Vernon quirks his upper lip in distaste, but goes back to how he was sitting, hands gripping the edge of his bathroom counter. Seungkwan cleans the scrapes up delicately, finding the Extra Big Band-Aids that Vernon's mom keeps especially for when he does dumb stuff and bandaging both of his knees.

"Was that so bad?" Seungkwan straightens up, flushing a little when she realizes she's standing between his legs. Vernon doesn't seem to mind, though, a dopey grin spreading across his face.

"Nah." Vernon shrugs. "I got blood on my new kicks, though."

They both look down at his dumb obnoxiously-colored Nikes, which, along with his equally dumb Nike crew socks, have spots of blood dripped on them.

"Good thing they were already fugly."

"Hey! I like these!" Vernon laughs, gently shoving Seungkwan's shoulder. She shoves him back, and she thinks he's gonna do the same thing he always does, tickle her sides, but his hands cradle her face instead and oh God they're kissing for the second time.

Vernon always smells distinctly like his cologne and blueberry-flavored blunt wraps, which is an oddly specific smell, but it's very much Vernon and Seungkwan doesn't mind being wrapped up in it as one of his hands slides down to her waist and pulls her closer, her stomach pressed to the counter edge, Vernon's thighs warm on either side of Seungkwan's hips.

Vernon's nose bumps Seungkwan's and she feels him smile, exhale in a shaky, hushed laugh as he parts from her. Seungkwan is almost upset he stopped.

Thankfully, Seungkwan's got enough guts to cradle Vernon's jaw with one hand, her other one coming up to rest at the juncture of his hip, and kiss him again. She can hear, if only faintly, the hummingbird thrum of his heartbeat, the nerves sending his body rigid. Seungkwan pulls Vernon closer to her, the hand at his hip squeezing gently, and he scoots to the edge of the counter, one of his legs hooking loosely around Seungkwan's.

"What the hell is taking you so long? Is Vernon bleeding out, for Christ's sake?"

Soonyoung's voice pulls them away from each other.

"Yeah, actually!" Vernon calls back, slipping off the counter and landing on his feet. He loosely winds his fingers with Seungkwan's as they walk down the hallway to Vernon's living room.

"It was a bloodbath, bro," Vernon continues as he rounds the corner. He glances back at Seungkwan for just a second when she pulls her hand from his.

"It seemed like it. I got some sick road burn, though." Soonyoung's pacing around Vernon's couch with his shirt pulled up to his chest, examining the aforementioned road burn on his left side.

"Sweet," Vernon guffaws. Chan rolls his eyes from the couch.

"You really need to stop getting hurt like this, didn't Mama tell you she wasn't paying a doctor to put you back together if you get too busted up?" Sofia asks, leaning in the entrance to the kitchen, an ice pop in her hand.

Vernon scrubs at the back of his neck with his hand, scrunching his face up thoughtfully, "Uh, correct. However. I'm not dead and-slash-or permanently injured thus far."

"How can you be dead _and_ permanently injured?" Seungkwan snorts.

"Don't come for me, you know I don't hear the words that come out of my own mouth," whines Vernon.

"Um, we all know that," Sofia chimes.

"Shut up! God!"

 

 

  
When Wonwoo was five, her mother taught her to swim.

Their neighborhood had a pool. Though it was nowhere as nice as the one she goes to now with Jeonghan and Seungcheol, it was a pool, and her mom stood in the shallow end, teaching Wonwoo to tread water, teaching her the breaststroke, treating a tired and sunburnt Wonwoo to ice cream when they were done.

Wonwoo practiced holding her breath. Every summer, she'd time herself under the cool blue water in the pool, lungs burning, though not unpleasantly.

Even now, she thinks about that pool as she sinks below the water in her bathtub, closing her eyes and just sitting in the warm silence for as long as her lungs will allow her. Then she surfaces; gasping, red eyed, remembering she's seventeen, alone, and thousands of miles from home.

Wonwoo doesn't go out much. She calls her mom, takes her meds, remembers to eat when the pills cramp her empty stomach, and crawls back into bed. She's too tired for this.

"Josh's doing this church thing. Some of us are gonna go along to help him watch the little kids and steal food, you're welcome to come." Seungcheol runs her fingers through Wonwoo's hair gently, then gently strokes the younger's cheek. Wonwoo's paler than usual, skin washed out save for the dark circles beneath her eyes.

"I don't know," Wonwoo mumbles, stretching out slowly. "Maybe."

"You don't have to. I just wanted to offer in case," Seungcheol murmurs, kissing the top of Wonwoo's head.

"I think I'm just gonna stay home. Sorry." Wonwoo reaches up to hold Seungcheol's hand, kissing her fingertips.

"Okay, babe." Seungcheol nods. "That's alright. Do you need anything?"

Wonwoo shakes her head, "I'm just gonna sleep. Thanks anyways."

"Alright.." Seungcheol moves away, gently pulling Wonwoo's comforter up over her as the younger settles back down in bed.

"I'll come back to check on you when it's over, okay?"

Wonwoo nods, already distant. Seungcheol sighs, lingering for a moment longer before she's gone.

 

 

  
"I'm so glad I got high before this," mumbles Soonyoung as he pushes who he thinks is Joshua's mom's best friend's sister's son in one of the swings on the playground outside the church. Chan is sitting in the other swing beside them, a cup of fruit punch from inside in his hands. Joshua is at the picnic table with some of the other young children, making sure no one chokes or makes a mess of their casserole and fruit salad. Distantly, Mingyu is playing a bootleg version of soccer with the older kids while Minghao sits out and Snapchats the whole thing.

"Soonyoung!" Chan widens his eyes, shushing the elder.

"This kid's like, five, his mind is still stem cell soup. He doesn't know what it means," Soonyoung reasons.

"If I've learned anything from having younger siblings, it's that they like to repeat everything they heard. They also like to refuse to eat what they're given for dinner and then tell their parents you didn't feed them when said parents get home, but that one is more of a personal anecdote." Chan sips his punch, shrugging.

"Do you even get paid for watching them?"

"Are you kidding me? It's my freaking obligation as the oldest kid. My parents seriously think I have absolutely no life, like, literally nothing better to do than watch my siblings."

"You mean you don't?" Soonyoung snorts.

"Actually, no. They're right, I don't."

"Thought so," Soonyoung chuckles.

"Push me higher!" the kid demands. Soonyoung pulls a face, but he pushes the kid further.

"Hey guys!" Joshua calls. "Kayla can take your spot watching him, could you go inside and help clean up or whatever?"

"Yeah, sure," replies Soonyoung, watching a disgruntled girl who looks to be maybe thirteen or fourteen walk over to where they are. She'd joined Joshua at the table a few minutes ago, twirling her hair around her finger and making eyes at him.

Soonyoung and Chan walk back inside the building; it's not the actual church but rather a place with a kitchen and bathrooms and a nursery, meant for the church moms to gossip over their bibles and food cooked by church grandmas.

"Hey, boys," Joshua's mom smiles at them from the kitchen doorway. "Can you just help me put away these leftovers?"

"Yes, ma'am," answers Chan, giving her his best I Am Definitely Not A Walking Disaster And Instead A Good Normal Kid smile and grabbing some of the waiting Tupperware containers to put away Mrs. Inman's green bean casserole. If Soonyoung laughs a little too hard when Chan accidentally drops half a tray of cookies a little while later, Chan forgives him.

 

"That was exhausting. I feel like throwing up every time I'm around people I don't know for longer than, like, forty-five minutes," Chan mumbles as Soonyoung sneaks in through his window and starts to strip down to his boxers so he can crawl into bed with the younger and cuddle him to sleep. Soonyoung thinks what Chan has sounds an awful lot like social anxiety, but that's probably a discussion for when he's sober and Chan's eyes aren't drooping the way they are.

_"Lee Chan!"_

Soonyoung drops to the floor, already wiggling under Chan's bed when he hears the door slam against the wall.

"You're supposed to neaten up the kitchen after dinner. You know that."

Chan sounds like he's on the verge of crying or punching a wall. "Sorry. I forgot."

"Sorry doesn't fucking cut it. You don't get to slack off because it's summer. Your father and I still have to work, and you're still expected to contribute to this household just like the rest of us."

Soonyoung thinks Chan definitely contributes enough. He also thinks Chan's mother doesn't realize she's talking to a fifteen year-old like he's an adult or something.

"Okay, sorry," Chan sighs again.

"Get that fucking look off your face, Chan. I've had enough of you getting an attitude every time you're asked to do simple things."

"I didn't have any look on my face! I said I was sorry!" The bed creaks as Chan gets up, walking out of his room and down the hall, Soonyoung knows he's going to the kitchen to clean up, and Soonyoung also knows Chan's mother is walking the other way now, to get into bed and bitch to her husband about what an ungrateful child Chan is while the last time she thanked him for anything was years ago.

Soonyoung slides out from under Chan's bed and into his bed once it's quiet, calm again. He waits until Chan returns, pruny-fingered and smelling like dish soap from cleaning everything up.

Chan closes his door; it doesn't have a lock, his parents took that off when he was ten for no real reason, but they've stopped caring that much, so when he walks over to his bed shedding his clothing article by article and kisses Soonyoung angrily as he's crawling into his bed, Soonyoung is reminded they're good at keeping quiet.

He also remembers where Chan hides his lube and condoms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Did you skip doses?"

Wonwoo freezes, hand hovering over the fridge handle.

"I already know you did, Wonwoo. I counted your pills before I left, and when I got back. They don't match up with what you were telling me."

"I forgot. Sorry," she mumbles, opening up the fridge and taking out the carton of orange juice, hoping to just drop the subject.

"It's okay if you miss a dose occasionally, but I don't like that you lied to me about it."

"Oh my God, Mom, if I told you I was missing doses all week you would've just flipped out on me. Blah blah blah you can't go anywhere without me because I can't care for myself, etcetera etcetera.." Wonwoo rolls her eyes.

"So you do know how to care for yourself? That what this past week was? Because judging from what Seungcheol and Jeonghan told me, you were a disaster."

"Oh my fucking God, you asked them?"

"I obviously can't rely on you to tell me the truth!"

"I can care for myself, Mom! Do you not recall the past five years? I had to look after myself, because you and Dad weren't fucking there, it's not like Granny had a fucking clue what to do with me! I don't need anyone checking up on me! I managed even before I was on medication, I managed when I tried to kill myself, I'm still here," Wonwoo laughs bitterly. "So what if I lied about my meds? I'll live without those fucking Prozac.” 

"Why do you bring up the past like it's going to change anything?" her mother asks gently, looking Wonwoo in the eye.

Wonwoo pauses, caught off guard by the question. It's silent for what feels like an hour, silent until she finally conjures the words.

"Because I still don't forgive you. Not fully. You and Dad fucked up my youth and I'm always gonna be bitter about it, because I can't get that back.

"Whatever. Sorry I lied about the meds," Wonwoo shakes her head, putting the juice away without even remembering to pour herself a cup. "I don't feel well. I'm gonna lie down, just..don't bother me, please."

 

 

  
"And now she's ignoring my messages. Nice," Jeonghan sighs.

"Just give her space, she'll talk to us when she's done sulking because we ratted her out to her mom," Seungcheol sighs. Jeonghan frowns, runs her fingers through her hair. Seungcheol pauses from picking up all the dirty clothes off of her floor and putting them into a hamper to wash, tipping Jeonghan's chin up for a short, chaste kiss.

"Wonwoo will get over it," she reassures. "Trust me."

Jeonghan just falls backward, stretched out across Seungcheol's unmade bed. "I guess."

Seungcheol offers a small smile, continuing to neaten her room. Jeonghan just watches, appreciating the view that Seungcheol bending over to pick up clothes gives her of Seungcheol's ass.

"You're hot," remarks Jeonghan, "Come make out with me."

"Okay.” Seungcheol grins, dropping the last of her clothes into her hamper and crawling onto the bed, straddling Jeonghan's lap.

 

 

  
_July 27th, 5:49 p.m._

  
**wiggly noodle boy:**  
_YALL I GOT A TRUCK  
YEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAW MUTHERFUCKERS_

**_(wiggly noodle boy has changed their name to PROUD TRUCK OWNER)_ **

**screamkwan:**  
_whose mans._

 **mingHOE:**  
_.............idk_

 **PROUD TRUCK OWNER:**  
_come LOOOOOOK it's a ford f-250 time to go MUDDIN_

 **junwhee:**  
_HELL YEAH_

 **PROUD TRUCK OWNER:**  
_VROOM VROOM  
Oh my god I can't wait to soup this bitch UP_

 **vodka mom:**  
_occasionally i forget mingyu's a redneck  
then  
i am reminded_

 **PROUD TRUCK OWNER:**  
_I grew up in south florida what do you expect  
Also I lived in kentucky for like a year_

 **vodka mom:**  
_.......jesus_

 **Actual Mom:**  
_congrats on your truck!!! pls drive safely_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_oh my god  
mingyu's a fucking hick  
sorry idk u guys anymore  
HES A LITERAL CRACKER BUT NOT WHITE_

 **mingHOE:**  
_HEY thats my boyfriend watch ur mouth_

 **PROUD TRUCK OWNER:**  
_It's okay wonwoo's from the west coast  
they dont drive anywhere they just shove avocados up their asses there_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_FUCK YOU HONKEY I LOVE AVOCADOS_

 **mingHOE:**  
_case and point needly ass bitch_

 **wiggly noodle girl:**  
_okay who the fuck are you calling needly with your long ass straw neck_

 **vodka mom:**  
_HDKDJAKDJSKCISKCJSKFIAOCJKSCJ  
ladies. please_

 **vern the fern:**  
_FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT_

 

 

  
"Well hey, stranger."

Wonwoo hums, sitting down on the curb beside Jeonghan. "Hey."

"You're all pale. When's the last time you went outside?"

"Honestly? I don't know." Wonwoo mumbles, eyes on Vernon, who decided it was a good idea to try and race Mingyu's truck on his skateboard. "Why are your friends idiots?"

"My friends? They aren't your friends too?"

"I've been here for like, two months, and none of them like me, so. _Your_ friends." Wonwoo closes her eyes, leaning her head back and basking in the sun as it comes out from behind a cloud.

"Seriously?" Jeonghan looks over at the younger. Wonwoo doesn't move.

"They do like you." Jeonghan gently shoves Wonwoo's knee with her own. "Minghao let you call out her long-neck praying mantis looking-ass, that's saying something about how much she likes you."

The younger opens her eyes, glancing over at Jeonghan. Wonwoo makes a vague humming sound, shrugging her shoulders and closing her eyes once more.

"Are you still bitter about your mom?"

"Yeah. Don't go behind my back and tell her shit she doesn't need to know."

"So we were just supposed to let you do whatever that shit all last week was?"

"Yeah. I can take care of myself. I don’t need you babysitting me." Wonwoo gets to her feet. Jeonghan can practically see her shutting down, building whatever wall they'd gotten through right back up.

"Okay, well the thing is," Jeonghan stands up as well, crossing her arms, "when you're in a relationship, you care about your partner. That's how it works."

"You can't fix my problems for me.” Wonwoo shakes her head. "Talking to my mom didn't help anything. I'm still depressed, and now she's just mad I skipped my meds."

"Why are you so fucking impossible?" Jeonghan heaves an impatient sigh.

Wonwoo laughs, "I must like making things difficult for myself, I don't know."

"Clearly," Jeonghan mutters. There's a moment of silence between them, punctuated by the sound of Vernon probably falling off of his skateboard.

"Listen. I'm not gonna apologize for talking to your mom. She asked us, we were all worried about you." Jeonghan sighs, running one hand through her hair. "I like you a lot. I care about your wellbeing and shit."

Wonwoo chews the inside of her cheek for a moment, shoulders finally slumping in defeat. "You're right. I'm being dumb. Sorry."

"Come here," Jeonghan takes Wonwoo's face in her hands, pulling the younger down for a quick kiss. "You have the right to be upset, but it was for your health, okay?"

Wonwoo nods, loosely wrapping her arms around Jeonghan's waist and kissing her again.

"Nice hickey."

"Thanks. My girlfriend gave it to me."

"Sweet. Speaking of your girlfriend, where is Seungcheol?"

"Uh, grounded. Her mom walked in on us making out," Jeonghan laughs.

"Her mom as in crazy Korean mom? Oh lord." Wonwoo laughs.

"Yeah.” Jeonghan rolls her eyes. "Whatever, she'll probably be ungrounded with a 'warning' in like two days anyways. She does this fuckin' puppy eye thing, it works on everyone."

"Are you bleeding again?" Seungkwan's incredulous voice cuts into their moment. She stomps past them, glaring at Vernon, who's sitting in the street, cradling his arm.

"I think I broke my elbow." he squints up at her.

"Mingyu, put that fucking truck to good use and drive him to the hospital, I gotta call his mom at work," Seungkwan sighs, focusing a glare on Mingyu, who holds his hands up and hops out of his truck to help Vernon up.

Once they're gone and Seungkwan's informed Mr. and Mrs. Choi that their "dumbass son broke another bone", she paces up and down the sidewalk, growling, "Why are boys fucking idiots? Jesus fucking Christ! They're so fucking stupid!"

"Why didn't you go with them? Isn't Vernon essentially your boyfriend or whatever?" Chan walks from the direction of his house, Soonyoung's arm around his shoulders.

"What? No," scoffs Seungkwan. "And I think I'd actually punch him if I'd gone. It's like doing dumb shit and getting hurt is his fucking job!"

"Vernon would be dead already if he got paid to get hurt," snorts Joshua, coming from Seokmin's house with a plate of brownies in hand. "Anyways, we made _snacks_."

 

 

  
One neon green cast and a thorough yelling-at by his parents later, Vernon's sitting in his garage with everyone else, trying to roll a joint one-handed.

"Can someone help me?" he finally asks, giving up after at least ten minutes of attempting.

"No. You did this to yourself." Seungkwan passes the joint in her fingers to Jihoon.

"I mean, I could use my foot." Vernon reaches to untie his shoe with his good hand. Seungkwan crinkles her nose, crawling over to him.

"Fine. You suck." she takes the joint from him, rolling it shut. Vernon just grins, watching Seungkwan seal the joint shut.

"Thanks." he leans back on his one hand. "Are you gonna sign my cast when you're done being mad at me?"

"Mad at you?" Seungkwan scoffs, taking Vernon's lighter. "Me? Never."

He just grins, watching her light the joint with a funny expression on his face. Watching him, it takes a second for Jeonghan to recognize that look; she's seen it on Soonyoung's face when he looks at Chan, it's the same look Junhui reserves for Jihoon.

Oh, God. Vernon...in love. That's _weird_. Jeonghan remembers when he was in sixth grade, avoiding girls like the plague as if it was just a week ago. But at the same time, it's Seungkwan, so who's really surprised? She tolerates Vernon's shit; they've been best friends since their ages were still in the single-digits. Sure, Jeonghan and Vernon were in diapers together, but Jeonghan's pretty sure she'd spontaneously combust if anyone ever suggested they date. She'd probably rather date Jihoon's ancient cat. Vernon's like her brother; it's bittersweet watching him grow up, for sure.

"Jeonghan? You good? I think this is the longest you've ever gone without interrupting anyone to give your snake-y input." Jihoon raises his eyebrows at her.

"Hey!" Jeonghan huffs. "Sorry that what I have to say is always the most important, God."

"There she is," Mingyu mumbles, sliding an arm around Minghao's waist.

"Excuse me, do something about this." Jeonghan gently whacks Wonwoo on the arm. The younger blinks, looking over at her.

"What? Sorry, I was _not_ listeni–"

Wonwoo pauses as her phone begins to ring. She frowns, shushing everyone as she answers it.

"Mom? What's up?"

Jeonghan's close enough that she can hear Wonwoo's mother on the other end.

_"Your father's appeal worked, he's on early release. He's getting your brother from my parents' and moving out here."_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The chinless woman abuser is getting here tomorrow."

Wonwoo has a cigarette hanging from her lips. "My dad, that is. And my brother."

"Is he as big a delinquent as you?" Jihoon asks, thumbing through all his unread messages.

"Even bigger. Think me, but without mental illness. Delinquent Hulk."

Jihoon snorts, glancing over at Wonwoo. She has smoke coming out of her nostrils like some type of dragon that wears Thrasher garb and doesn't even skate.

"Shouldn't you be telling your girlfriends this kind of stuff?"

"They already know, I've talked about it as much as I think I can with then. I don't want to hear about how it's all gonna be okay, because while I know they mean well, both of their parents are still together and somewhat happy. They won't get it." Wonwoo flicks ash off her cigarette. Jihoon peers over at her.

"So you're talking to me instead? Who says mine aren't?"

"There's only one car in your driveway."

"Touché. I was just being difficult, my mom and dad have been working out their stupid divorce proceedings for a year now." Jihoon shoves his hands into the pocket of his hoodie. Wonwoo hums.

"My dad and I used to be really close. Of course, that was before I knew he was shooting heroin, and granted I was ten years old, but he was my idol. Then both my parents went to prison, and every time I visited him we just fought. Mom and I moved here, and I'd call. I tried to be civil and shit, but he shut it down." Wonwoo takes another drag of her cigarette and burns it the rest of the way down to the filter. She flicks the butt away and takes another twig out of her pack.

"Can I have one?" Jihoon asks. Wonwoo hands him the pack, lighting her own cigarette. "If anyone asks, I didn't get you hooked on nicotine. Anyways. He's gonna get here and my mom's gonna become his fuckin' doormat all over again, and I can guarantee the neighbors are gonna call the cops on us at least once because I can't stand him and he can't stand me and it never ends well."

Jihoon shrugs, taking the lighter from where it's balanced on Wonwoo's knee and lighting up. "I mean, you saw that mess with Soonyoung's folks. It's nothing this street hasn't seen."

Wonwoo makes a noise deep in her throat. "Wanna walk to McDonalds and get milkshakes?"

"It's three-fifteen in the morning."

"It's a twenty four-hour McDonalds."

"Touché. Let's go."

 

 

  
Wonwoo's on the sidewalk in front of Jeonghan's house, resting her eyes with her head on the latter's shoulder. Jeonghan watches Vernon try to ride his bike one-handed, when the dumpy Subaru with that ugly fake wood paneling pulls into Wonwoo's driveway. Jeonghan gently nudges Wonwoo, who opens her eyes and peers across the street.

"Aw, fuck," Wonwoo grunts, getting to her feet. Jeonghan makes to follow, but Wonwoo waves her off. "It's better if you don't."

Wonwoo's mom is already out the front door, going to meet her husband as he climbs out of the driver's side of the car. Wonwoo jogs across the street, pulling her hood up over her head. Another person, presumably Wonwoo's brother, gets out on the passenger side and walks around to meet her. Wonwoo shoves him against the car.

"Oh boy." Vernon rolls to a stop beside the sidewalk where Jeonghan's still seated. "Family's all here now?"

"Guess so." Jeonghan stands up, watching Wonwoo converse with her father briefly. Judging by the looks on their faces, neither of them are very happy about it.

"I didn't know Wonwoo had a dad." Soonyoung rolls up on his skateboard.

"Everyone has a dad, dumbfuck. Where's your boyfriend?" Vernon offhandedly pumps the handbrake on his bike just for the sake of fidgeting.

"Well, yeah, but she's never even mentioned him, I assumed he was like a mythical creature in her life, always spoken of but never seen in real life, like my very own Mr. Kwon–anyways. Chan's grounded 'cause...I don't know, his parents want him to suffer."

Vernon hums, looking back over at Wonwoo's family. She's helping her brother hoist suitcases out of the trunk of the car while her parents go inside.

"Aw, look at her trying to lift heavy things with her little toothpick arms. It's like watching a baby deer try to do things," Soonyoung observes. Jeonghan snorts.

"Anyways, Vernon, where's your boo?" Soonyoung asks, grinning. Vernon blinks, and then rolls his eyes.

"Ha, ha, I see what you did there. And it was horrible. Also, I don't know where Seungkwan is, we haven't talked to each other in like, two days."

"Did you fight?" Jeonghan frowns.

"No? We're just people who have lives outside of our friendship with each other?"

Soonyoung and Jeonghan share a look, and Soonyoung sighs, "Friendship. Right."

Vernon pulls a face. "Whatever. Where's everyone else?"

"I think they also have lives outside of this group, believe it or not." Jeonghan examines her nails. "Seungcheol and Josh are job searching, I know that."

"What does Joshua need a job for? He makes plenty of money selling–" Soonyoung grunts when Vernon elbows him in the side.

"His parents are gonna start wondering where he's getting that money." Vernon shrugs his shoulders. Soonyoung sits down on the curb beside Jeonghan.

"Touché. I miss my boyfriend."

"You miss Chan if he's more than three feet away from you." Vernon fiddles with his kickstand. Soonyoung leans back on his hands. "You have a point there."

"Whatever. I'm bored, and Mom said no more dumb stuff until my arm's better," Vernon sighs, glancing down at his cast.

"That reminds me, I have to sign your cast."

"Don't draw anything that I can't show in church."

Soonyoung grins. "Do I look like some kind of animal?"

"Yeah, actually."

 

 

  
"Would you wanna, like, go to a concert with me in Myrtle Beach? I have my license so I convinced my folks to let me take one of the cars for the weekend, my grandparents have a beach house we can stay in and stuff."

"My parents would never let me go alone with you." Seungkwan raises her eyebrows at Vernon.

"Just tell them Jeonghan or someone is going too. I kinda already got the tickets."

Seungkwan rolls her eyes. "Of course you did. I'll do my best to convince them. How'd you get your folks to let you take a car? To Myrtle, no less? That's kinda ambitious for someone who got his license just this year."

"I'm a good driver," Vernon insists, crossing his arms.

"That's debatable, but I'll drop it, 'cause you're apparently a good enough driver to manage this." Seungkwan shakes her head. Vernon sticks his tongue out, glancing at his phone screen.

"How's your arm?" Seungkwan sighs, stretching out across Vernon's couch to rest her legs in his lap.

"Fine," Vernon mumbles, absentmindedly drumming his fingers against Seungkwan's knee. He glances at his cast. "My elbow itches and I can't itch it."

Seungkwan snorts. "I guess this is the end, then?"

"Uh-huh," Vernon grins, looking down. His loose curls fall over his eyes, and Seungkwan distantly thinks it's almost time for a haircut as she leans forward, brushing Vernon's hair back so she can kiss him. It's an awkward angle, Vernom turning his head to meet her full on, but neither of them mind. Despite the heat outside, goosebumps rise on Seungkwan's skin. She inhales slowly, parting from Vernon's lips for just a moment to crawl closer, straddle his thighs.

"’m I too heavy?" murmurs Seungkwan, hesitating to settle her weight fully on Vernon's lap. Vernon laughs through his nose, "Are you serious?"

His hands snake downwards to her hips, squeezing gently until Seungkwan relaxes in his lap. Vernon grins, tilting his chin up so he can kiss Seungkwan again. "Better."

"When are your–" Seungkwan gasps when Vernon moves his lips to her neck, her mouth gone dry, "–your parents getting back with. With Sofia?"

"Not for a few more hours," Vernon utters against Seungkwan's warm skin.

"Good.” Seungkwan cards her fingers though Vernon's hair, tightening her grip ever so slightly on the curls at his nape. Vernon's fingers flex slightly on Seungkwan's hips, and he gulps, peering up at her.

 

 

_August 2nd, 7:05 p.m._

**caucASIAN:**  
_dude. Dude  
I just lost my virginity the_

 **$oonyoung:**  
_THE  
who would bang your goofy ass  
WAIT. I KNOW WHO. GOD I'M SMOKING TOO MUCH THAT WAS OBVIOUS  
so are u guys like a Thing now  
it's about time GOD_

 **caucASIAN:**  
_I dont?know we didnt talk about it it just happened idk I need to see you and talk about it in person_

 

 

  
Soonyoung's already perched on the curb outside the gas station, sipping on an icee while he holds another one out to Vernon.

"Nice hickeys," snorts Soonyoung. Vernon awkwardly scrubs his hand over the red and purple marks littering his neck as if that'll make them disappear.

"Get Minghao to cover those, she's like, great at it. But anyways. You guys didn't talk about it? Like, at all?"

Vernon shakes his head, sitting down beside Soonyoung. "No. We do this....weird thing where she'll kiss me and I'll kiss her back because I like her but then we don't even.. _talk_ about it afterwards, like, it just happens, and then we act like it didn't."

Soonyoung's quiet for a moment. "Why don't you just...tell her how you feel?"

"How do I tell her how I feel? Do I just like...tell her everything, right down to how watching her smile makes my stomach do backflips and hearing her laugh takes away my breath and that I know how much she loves peaches but can't eat them with the skin on because she hates the fuzz and I think that's the cutest thing ever and wanna peel her peaches for her forever, and I can't even listen to music without her popping into my head, because I made playlists that remind me of her and there's entire albums that just make me think about her, how do I tell her that? Aren't I the one that's supposed to be cool and have my shit together about stuff like this? I feel like I'm the annoying protagonist in a bad romcom, Soonyoung."

Soonyoung takes a second to consider what Vernon said, slowly looping an arm around the younger's shoulders and pulling him into a half-assed embrace.

"Oh, boy," Soonyoung sighs. "You've got it bad, huh. It's the worst, not knowing if they feel that way about you, right?"

Vernon nods slowly, letting his head drop onto Soonyoung's shoulder. "What if she doesn't even like me as more than a friend and I'm just supposed to know that we're probably gonna platonically make out and stuff sometimes?"

"I don't think that's what Seungkwan wants. You need to bring it up, though," Soonyoung ruffles Vernon's hair. "You used a condom, right?"

"Actually..."

"Vernon."

"Yes, I'm just joshing you."

"You're honestly terrible. I'm never helping you again," Soonyoung mutters.

 

 

  
"Hey, babe." Mingyu's warmth radiates through Minghao's covers as he sits on the edge of her bed.

Minghao doesn't move, only peers at him from beneath her covers.

"How are you feeling?" Mingyu leans down, presses a gentle kiss to Minghao's forehead.

"Depressed."

"I figured. What do you need me to do?"

Minghao is quiet for a moment, slowly sitting up and hugging her knees to her chest. "Just hold me," she finally utters, holding her arms out. Mingyu easily scoops her up, cradling Minghao in his lap.

Minghao isn't the type to talk about her feelings to anyone but her therapist. There's nothing wrong with being depressed. Minghao just can't bring herself to...share that part of her with her friends, the part of her that offhandedly wants to put her phone in a blender and hibernate in her room for a year, the part of her that takes Zoloft at the same time as her birth control pills.

There's nothing wrong with being depressed; Minghao knows there's not. But her problems are not her friends' problems. They're hers to solve, hers to fret over.

Mingyu often wonders aloud if this is just Minghao trying to make it seem like she doesn't internalize all her shit.

He's probably right.

"This is enough?" Mingyu's voice, low and soothing, rumbles in his chest. Minghao lays her ear against the broad expanse of skin covered by his t-shirt and listens to his heartbeat.

Good enough. Minghao nods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Chan's mother finds condoms and a bottle of lube in his nightstand drawer, he's pretty sure World War III is going to break out.

 

  
"This is unnecessary. I'm uncomfortable.” Chan sits heavily in his seat at the dining table, across from his parents.

"You weren't told to speak.” his father glares. Chan crosses his arms, heaving a loud sigh.

"What's the problem? Did you think I'd just stay clueless about sex until I turned eighteen and that's when the switch automatically flipped or something?"

"You're a kid–"

"I'm a teenager, why is this such a huge deal? Were you guys totally abstinent when you were my age?"

"Stop talking back," snaps his father. Chan grits his teeth.

"Then what's this meeting supposed to do? You're mad at me for having safe sex, what's the point?"

"You don't need to be involved in stuff like sex at this age, I don't think those friends you hang out with are good influences on you," frowns his mother.

Chan laughs aloud, "What? It doesn't matter who I'm friends with, my boyfriend's still gonna fuck me in the ass."

 

 

  
"When is my boyfriend gonna be ungrounded?" Soonyoung whines, collapsing in the grass beside Joshua and Seokmin.

"Why don't you just go ask?" Seokmin peers past Joshua, raising his eyebrows at Soonyoung.

"His parents hate me."

"Fair enough. Get Seungcheol to go ask, parents like her. She's wholesome." Seokmin lays his head on Joshua's shoulder, lazily intertwining his fingers with the elder's.

Around a yawn, Soonyoung replies, "You're not wrong."

"Who's not wrong? Is it me, because I'm right about everything all the time?" Jeonghan walks over to them, positioning her sunglasses on top of her head. Seungcheol, Junhui, Jihoon, and Vernon are still playing volleyball on the field; needless to say, Jihoon and Vernon are losing miserably to the former two.

"You asked me if Virginia was in New York once." Joshua squints up at Jeonghan.

"I'm hot, not smart. That's beside the point though, I'm fucking bored," groans Jeonghan, sitting down in the shade.

"Where's your girlfriend?" asks Seokmin. Jeonghan blinks at him, then gestures behind her to Seungcheol.

"No, the other one."

"Oh, right. She's been all moody since her dad got here, she doesn't want to go out or do anything.” Jeonghan sighs, examining her split ends.

"I don't blame her, her dad kinda seems like a grade-A dickbag." Soonyoung sits up, leaning back on his hands.

"Yeah," Jeonghan mutters. "I've only seen, like, glimpses of him and he still gives me the creeps."

"Who does?" Seungkwan rolls up on her bicycle, leaving it on its side in the grass as she joins them in their little patch of shade.

"Wonwoo's dad," answers Jeonghan.

"Oh, yikes. We were out checking the mail at the same time this morning, he seemed normal." Seungkwan shrugs. She glances up, eyes following Vernon's form for just a moment too long before she looks back at Jeonghan.

"Eh, I don't know. I don't like his vibe." Jeonghan examines her split ends.

"Whose vibe?" Junhui jogs over, followed by the other three. Already flushed and sweating from exertion, Vernon turns beet red and wide-eyed at the sight of Seungkwan.

"Wonwoo's dad," Soonyoung answers. "I miss my boyfriend. Fuck."

"Go see him then, he's not doing shit but babysitting today.” Vernon pulls his shirt over his head, wiping sweat off of his face with it. Seungkwan's cheeks are rosy. "You know why he got grounded?"

"No, we haven't talked since he got his ass in trouble again."

"Shit, that's right, his parents are like, trying to erase you from his life. Anyways, he got grounded because they found y'all's condoms," snorts Vernon. Soonyoung blinks, and then bursts into laughter.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he howls, falling back onto the grass.

"He told me the rest, but I cannot bring myself to repeat it without getting immensely uncomfy, so whatever. Wanna go bother him yourself?" Vernon pushes his sweaty curls off of his forehead. He glances towards Seungkwan, and flushes all the way up to his ears all over again.

"Yeah, fuck it." Soonyoung gets to his feet, stretching his arms over his head.

 

  
"Where are you guys going?"

"To bother my boyfriend. How come you're avoiding everyone?" Soonyoung shoots Wonwoo a crescent-eyed grin as she falls into step with him and Vernon.

"Because I hate being social. I thought Chan was grounded?"

Soonyoung waves his hand vaguely, humming. "Grounded is just a suggestion."

"O...kay, cool."

"You should hang out with Jeonghan and Seungcheol more. Stuff is fucky for you right now, they wanna be there for you and you're making it kinda difficult by avoiding them, and everyone else." Vernon peers over at Wonwoo, raising his eyebrows.

"When are you gonna ask Seungkwan out?"

Vernon pinkens again, but he glares. "Stop sidestepping, we just want to help, dude."

"Since when were you my counselor?"

Soonyoung makes a noise before Vernon can respond. "Stop it, you're both giving me a headache."

Wonwoo rolls her eyes. Vernon shoves his hands into his pockets, and Soonyoung knocks on Chan's front door.

"Oh my God, hi," Chan jumps into Soonyoung's arms when he registers the elder standing on his doorstep, tucking his face into Soonyoung's neck. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," mumbles Soonyoung, pressing a kiss to the top of Chan's head. "What's up?"

"My parents are insane," mutters Chan. "They lost their fucking minds over the fact that you and I bang. I'm on total lockdown. They're monitoring my phone and shit, we aren't allowed to talk anymore and I'm grounded indefinitely."

Soonyoung hugs Chan tighter. "Jesus fuck."

"Yep," Chan mumbles, tucking his face into Soonyoung's neck. "You probably shouldn't stay long. The kids are napping right now but Mom bribed them to rat me out if I have you over while I'm watching them, so."

"Have your parents always been this crazy?" Vernon asks over Soonyoung's shoulder.

"I don't know, they just don't like that I'm not a little kid anymore or whatever." Chan lifts his head, sighing.

"Hey, it'll be okay." Soonyoung forces a smile. "They'll get over it soon enough, right?"

"I hope so." Chan rolls his eyes. "It's been a week and I'm already losing my mind."

There's a noise from inside the house, and Chan glances back. "I gotta go," he turns to Soonyoung once more, pulling the elder's face down for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," mumbles Soonyoung, his touch lingering on Chan as long as it can until the younger pulls away entirely, waving as he shuts the front door.

"I fucking hate this," groans Soonyoung, turning around and strolling down the walkway with Vernon. "Wait, where did Wonwoo go?"

Vernon looks around, frowning. "I wasn't paying attention. She probably just bailed and went home."

Soonyoung rolls his eyes. "Figures."

"She'll come out of it. There's just a lot of stuff in her life throwing her off right now, you know how it can be," Vernon shoves his hands into his pockets.

"Weren't you the one just bugging her about avoiding everyone?"

"Because there's people, specifically not one but two girlfriends, that want to be there for her and I don't think she's letting them in even if she wants to. Wonwoo doesn't really trust any of us, you realize that, right?"

Soonyoung thinks for a moment, shrugging. "Okay, maybe you're right. But. How do you know she isn't just telling Jeonghan and Seungcheol what's wrong and they're keeping it on the low?"

"Because Jeonghan tells me literally everything that's happening in her life with absolutely no regard for whether or not it's actually any of my business, I'd know."

"Okay, fair. I forget you have a best friend that isn't me, let alone that it's Jeonghan."

"You'll always be my number one, bro."

Grinning, Soonyoung slings an arm around Vernon's neck and ruffles his hair.

 

 

  
"What's up with you and Vernon?" Minghao asks, lowering her sunglasses to peer over at Seungkwan.

"What do you mean what's up with us?" Seungkwan prays Minghao attributes too much time in the sun to her flaming cheeks. She's a shit liar.

"Just wondering what the status is there. You guys act all couple-y but now you won't even look at each other."

Peering around the pool, Seungkwan sighs and sits up from her lounge chair. "Can we go somewhere else?"

"I'm melanating here, dammit. Fine." Minghao sits up as well, pulling her cover-up on over her bikini and beginning to put her things back into her pool bag.

 

 

"We had sex."

Minghao's glossy pink lips form a perfect 'o'. She blinks at Seungkwan, clearly waiting on the other to continue. Seungkwan stirs her icee with her straw, watching cars come and go from the gas station lot for a moment or two.

"That's it. We fucked and I don't know what to do now. I thought he was gonna ask me out, even before it happened, we've made out like, three times. Maybe he just doesn't like me, I don't know," Seungkwan mumbles.

Minghao spits out her drink. "Seungkwan. You're a fucking idiot. Vernon's whipped for you, dumbass, God. He stares at you all fuckin' lovey-dovey constantly, it's gross."

"Stop, this isn't a joke," whines Seungkwan.

"I'm gonna throw this on you." Minghao waves her icee threateningly. "I'm serious. You guys are fucking ridiculous, what is this, a shitty fanfiction? Just talk to him."

"I'm scared," Seungkwan sighs. Minghao chews on her lower lip.

"Listen. Everyone's scared when it comes to relationships. I was a dick to Mingyu for like, five solid years, and now he's my boyfriend, and I'm scared every fucking day that I'm gonna lose him because he'll find someone that can treat him better. But you gotta take that shot, okay? The worst thing that could happen is you guys just stay friends. Besides, I'll kick Vernon's goofy ass if he does something to fuck up his chances with someone as astonishing as you.

"Alright?" Minghao looks over at Seungkwan. Her mouth is stretched into a wide, genuine grin, something that almost appears out of place on her face because of how rarely it appears. For some reason, that makes Seungkwan feel even better.

"Yeah," Seungkwan smiles, looking down into her nearly-empty cup.

"Good. Mingyu's coming to get us because I didn't feel like walking all the way back home," Minghao laughs through her nose, tossing her ponytail off her shoulder, and that's that.

 

 

  
Sofia answers the door when Seungkwan rings the bell.

"Is Vernon here?"

"Yeah, one second. Vernon! Your girlfriend's here!" Sofia yells into the house.

"If I come to the door and no one is there again I'm gonna sell you on Ebay." Vernon comes from further in the house, clearly having just woken up from a nap, if his messy hair and lack of a shirt are anything to go by. Seungkwan's face heats up at the sight of fading bruises on his neck and collarbones, and she crosses her arms shyly. Vernon stops short when he sees her.

"Hey, shoo.” Vernon waves Sofia off. She makes loud kissy noises, disappearing into the house. Vernon's cheeks bloom red.

"What's up?" he scrubs the back of his neck. Vernon meets Seungkwan's eyes unwaveringly, and she almost has to look away. Curse the inexplicable intensity that comes with making eye contact with teenage boys.

"We need to talk. Right?"

"Uh. Yeah, lemme go put on acceptable outside clothes."

"Literally nothing you wear is acceptable."

Vernon sticks his tongue out over his shoulder, walking to his room and reappearing a minute later in basketball shorts and a plain tee, mismatched socks on his feet. God, he's a disaster. Seungkwan feels her heart swell a little more.

"So." Vernon steps onto his front porch with Seungkwan, closing the door behind him and then attempting to put his shoes on without untying them.

"So." Seungkwan mimics, waiting until he's done to start down the sidewalk. Vernon matches her pace, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Can you tell me what's happening with us?" Vernon blurts. "I hope that's what you wanted to talk about. Not knowing where we stand, it's–it's fucking with my head, okay? I need structure and shit or I get in my head about it and–“

"Hey," Seungkwan shushes Vernon gently before he gets too worked up, reaching over to take one of his hands. She doesn't miss the way Vernon's shoulders untense, the way his eyes soften as he turns his head to look over at her.

"That's what I wanted to talk about," Seungkwan affirms. "We should've..talked about this a while ago, I think. Before things got so intense."

" _Intense_. Yeah,” chuckles Vernon, looking ahead once more and shaking his hair out of his eyes.

"I like you. I've liked you for a really long time, I don't know why I didn't tell you earlier–"

"I love you."

Seungkwan stops mid-step. Vernon's eyes are wide when he looks over at her, and he laughs again, more out of nerves than anything.

"Seungkwan, I've loved you since the very first day we met, oh my God. It's so...much, I don't know what to do with myself half the time, I wish there was a better way I could express that. I know love is a..really weird thing when we're this young, people say it and it means nothing, but I promise I love you as much as I know how to."

Seungkwan's mouth falls open in shock. Vernon's eyes search hers for a few seconds.

"Please say something.” Vernon looks the most vulnerable Seungkwan’s ever seen him, raw emotion evident in his wide brown eyes.

"Holy shit," Seungkwan chokes out. "Why?"

Vernon's face screws up in confusion. "Why do I love you? Are you serious? Why _don't_ I love you? It's just...it's one of those things that just is, Seungkwan. I love you, water is wet. The sky is blue, Boo Seungkwan owns my heart. You get the gist? I'll continue anyways, because I've honestly actually been keeping all the reasons I love you in for a really long time.

"I love your _smile_ , your whole face lights up and your..your fuckin' _cheeks_ , Seungkwan. Holy shit. I love when you laugh, your eyes get all crinkled. I love hearing you sing, because you have the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard. You’re so kind, you’ve always been...my person, y’know? You’re too nice to me, you’re nice to _everyone_ , you make me smile just by fuckin’...existing, being all cute and shit, I look at you and I see my future. I love you _so much_.” Vernon gulps, pushing his hair put of his eyes.

Seeming to gather his thoughts for a moment, Vernon takes a breath, and finally, tacks on, “But, you know, if you don’t...want it to be like that, I won’t be weird and bitter and say you friendzoned me.”

For a moment, Seungkwan’s too stunned to do much more than stare disbelievingly at Vernon. Then, after a shallow sigh, she grabs the taller by his face and pulls Vernon in for a deep kiss. 

“Does this answer your question?” murmurs Seungkwan. Grinning, Vernon slides his hands from Seungkwan’s waist to her backside. 

“Have I mentioned I’m...really fond of your butt?” Vernon kisses Seungkwan again, clumsy with their combined giggles.

”I love you too.” Seungkwan pulls back to look up at Vernon, beaming. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On her eighteenth birthday, Seungcheol wakes up to Jeonghan straddling her, mumbling "wake up" between the soft kisses she's peppering all over Seungcheol's face. Seungcheol crinkles her nose, stretches her arms out and wraps them around Jeonghan, pulling the younger girl closer to her.

Chest to chest now, Jeonghan grins up at Seungcheol. "Good morning, birthday girl."

"Morning," Seungcheol mumbles, eyes closing once more.

"Nope, you gotta get up," Jeonghan giggles, sitting up and pulling on Seungcheol's arms until the other does the same.

"It's my birthday, don't I get to sleep in?" Seungcheol pouts. Jeonghan shakes her head, smiling deviously.

"It's ten-thirty, you've slept late enough. Come on." Jeonghan hops out of bed, pulling Seungcheol to her feet.

 

 

  
Seungcheol comes out of the shower with cheeks flushed pink, knees wobbly and eyes bright. Jeonghan follows, smirking triumphantly.

“Happy birthday,” she whispers in Seungcheol’s ear as they descend the stairs. Seungcheol’s parents are already gone, at work, but there’s a plate of egg toast waiting on the counter along with a little silver box and an envelope.

Seungcheol picks the envelope up, daintily opening it and taking out the card inside. Jeonghan wraps her arms around Seungcheol’s waist, leaning her chin on Seungcheol’s shoulder. The card’s contents are written in Hangul, so Jeonghan isn’t sure what exactly it says, but Seungcheol has a sweet smile touching her lips as she scans it.

Setting the card aside, Seungcheol picks up the box and opens it slowly. Her eyes widen as she takes out a set of car keys.

“Oh, shit,” Jeonghan grins. Seungcheol walks towards the front window slowly, peering through the blinds at her front driveway. Waiting, complete with a bow on top, is a new car.

“Fuck!” Seungcheol exclaims, dashing out the front door to look at the car. Jeonghan follows, tying her hair up into a ponytail.

“Shit! This your whip now?” Vernon rolls up on his bike. Soonyoung isn’t far behind on his longboard.

“I guess,” Seungcheol answers, walking in a slow circle around the car.

“Does the aux bump? Shit got bluetooth?” Vernon dumps his bike in Seungcheol’s yard to look at her car as well.

“Why don’t we find out? I’ve had my license since I was sixteen, it already has its plates,” Seungcheol grins.

“Fuck yes!” Vernon jumps up and down. “God. Jeonghan doesn’t let me bump in her car.”

“Because your music sucks.” Jeonghan interjects.

“Take that back, Drake is heat.”

“Oooh, what’s this?” Wonwoo strolls over, hands in her pockets.

“Seungcheol has a car now.”

“Oh, bitchin’.” Wonwoo grins, wrapping one arm around Jeonghan’s shoulders from behind.

“Did you just say ‘bitchin’?” Soonyoung asks. “Like, did I hear that correctly?”

“Yeah, I did. Seungcheol, you know you don’t have to bring cake on your own birthday.” Wonwoo walks over to Seungcheol slowly, biting her lower lip to hide her smile.

“I didn’t bring–oh,” Seungcheol squeaks as Wonwoo pulls her closer, squeezing her ass.

“You have no idea. How long I’ve been waiting to make that joke,” Wonwoo snickers, keeping her hands on Seungcheol’s ass and leaning down for a quick kiss. “I thought of it, like, a week ago, do you know how agonizing it is waiting that long to make a joke that great?”

“That was a pretty good joke,” Seungcheol admits, giggling as she tiptoes for another kiss from the younger.

“I’m really proud of that one. I’ll have to add it to my list of best jokes.”

“Was that list empty until right now?” Soonyoung inquires dryly, eyes on his phone screen.

“Listen here, you fucking misfit–“

“No arguing on the princess’s birthday. Fuck you guys,” Jeonghan interrupts. Wonwoo glares at Soonyoung, but relents to instead lean down and kiss Seungcheol again.

“Okay, but can we whip this bitch already?” Vernon eyes Seungcheol’s car.

“It’s your birthday!” Joshua jogs over from his house, shooing Wonwoo away so he can hug Seungcheol.

“You smell like weed,” Seungcheol laughs, hugging Josh back all the same. Joshua pulls back a bit, sniffing his shirt. “Oh. It appears I do smell like marijuana. Yikes.”

“When don’t you smell like weed?” Vernon points out. Joshua shrugs. “Most of the time, actually. It’s like none of you have faith in me.”

Vernon gives a noncommittal shrug, jogging in a circle and bouncing in place. “Why are we not drag racing right now? Seungcheol, you’ve had your car for five minutes, let’s go, I don’t have all day, let’s attend the highway for vehicular competitive racing activities.”

“Have you taken your meds this morning?” Jeonghan asks. Hansol pauses, thinking for a moment.

“Yeah, actually, I did. With a Redbull.”

“Oh my God..” Jeonghan rubs her temples. “Whatever. Let’s just go driving. No boys allowed. Fuck you guys.”

“That’s just cruel,” complains Vernon, picking up his bike all the same. Jeonghan grins and climbs into the passenger seat.

“Oh, so I’m just banished to the back?” Wonwoo sighs.

“Yep. Do you need a carseat like the big baby you are?”

“Yeah, actually.”

Wonwoo glares playfully at Jeonghan, crawling into the back of the car. Seungcheol gets in on the driver’s side.

 

 

  
“It’s actually quite roomy back here. This will be excellent for car sex–“

“Please stop evaluating the car like you’re trying to sell it.”

“Okay, fair, but real talk, when are we bumping uglies in this scooty little white mom car?”

Jeonghan cackles, and Seungcheol flushes a lovely pink. Wonwoo’s eyes, alight with mischief, appear in the rearview mirror. Even if Seungcheol can’t see the rest of her face, she knows Wonwoo’s smiling.

“My car’s already christened. I don’t even wanna think about what Jeonghan’s whip has seen. It’s your turn,” Wonwoo teases, leaning forward to press a kiss to Seungcheol’s shoulder. Seungcheol taps the brakes so Wonwoo slides off her seat onto the floor.

“That’s just rude.”

“That’s what you get for not wearing your seatbelt.”

“Huh. It seems like you got me there.” Wonwoo nods, crawling back into her seat and putting her seatbelt on. “Now, riddle me this: when can I eat your damn pussy in this fricking KIA, Seungcheol?”

Seungcheol has to pull over because she’s laughing too hard. Wonwoo has this triumphant little grin on her face.

 

 

  
_“Where are you?”_

“With Jeonghan and Seungcheol. Why?”

_“You need to come home now.”_

“Why?” Wonwoo doesn’t move, one arm still around Seungcheol. She holds her phone between her ear and shoulder, fumbling around on Jeonghan’s bed for her shirt.

_“Because I said so.”_

“That’s not a good reason. Did he put you up to this?”

_“Why are you arguing with me? Just fucking come home.”_

“Yelling at me isn’t gonna make me come home, all I said was ‘because I said so’ wasn’t a good reason.” Wonwoo extracts herself from between Jeonghan and Seungcheol carefully. “Why do I need to come home?”

_“Because I told you to, Wonwoo! I give you a lot of freedom but you’re not an adult yet, so when I tell you to come home, fucking come home.”_

“Fucking fine,” snaps Wonwoo. Jeonghan jolts awake.

“Yeah. I’ll be home in a minute. Bye.” Wonwoo tosses her phone away, looking over at Jeonghan. “I gotta go for a bit. My mom’s bugging. I’ll see you guys later, okay?”

Jeonghan nods, still half-asleep. She leans up for a kiss, which Wonwoo happily grants as she steps into her pants. Wonwoo leans down to kiss Seungcheol’s forehead after pulling her shirt over her head, picks her phone up, and leaves.

 

 

  
“What’s your issue? I’m right across the fucking street.” Wonwoo walks into her house with hackles already raised, already bristling for a fight.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking t–“

“ _You_ , Mom, I am talking to you. What’s your issue?” Wonwoo crosses her arms. “Why are you bugging? Have you been drinking again?”

“No–“

“Then it’s him. What’s his issue? Where is he so I can ask him myself?”

“That’s not a good idea right now–“

“Then why the fuck am I here? What’s the problem? I’m seventeen. I’ve been old enough to look after myself for a long time–“

“You’re a kid, Wonwoo!”

“I’m a kid?” Wonwoo’s voice rises and rises and before she knows it she’s screaming. “I’m a fucking kid? That’s really rich of you, Mom. I was a fucking kid until I came home on my eleventh birthday and you and Dad were fucking tweaking on the living room floor! I wasn’t a kid when I grew up with both of you in jail, I was a kid when I still needed you guys, but guess what?”

Wonwok takes a deep breath, lowering her voice once more. “I don’t need you. I’m here because I love you, and I actually want a relationship with you, but I’m not a kid. I know he,” she points upstairs, “likes to think I’m a dumb little girl. You know better than that, Mom.”

Wonwoo stares evenly at her mother. “If you want to see me or spend time together all you gotta do is say so. But let me have a life. I have friends. I have girlfriends. I’m growing up.”

Finally, her mother nods. Wonwoo exhales, the tension finally leaving her shoulders.

“Thank you. We can talk more later tonight, I promise I’ll be home. I’m sorry I raised my voice at you, okay?”

Another nod. Unsettled by the vacant look in her mother’s eyes, Wonwoo hesitates in her turn for the door.

“Mom?” she asks, hand on the doorknob.

Silence.

“Mom.” Wonwoo repeats, more forcefully. This time, her mother shakes her head a little.

“I’m gonna lie down for a bit, I think,” she finally murmurs. Wonwoo watches her climb the stairs, chewing on her lower lip.

“Mom,” she calls one last time.

“What, peanut?”

“Use my room.”

“Your room? Why?”

“Because he’s not in there.”

 

 

  
Wonwoo’s quiet when they all gather in Hansol’s garage that night.

Well, she’s always quiet, but this time, especially so.

“Hey,” Jeonghan murmurs to her beneath the din of Joshua and Minghao arguing over who gets to light the candles on Seungcheol’s birthday cake. Wonwoo turns to look at Jeonghan, gaze warm.

“Hey.” She smiles, leans in to kiss Jeonghan’s temple.

“What’s up?” Jeonghan inquires before Wonwoo distracts her out of asking.

“What do you mean?”

“What happened earlier?” Jeonghan elaborates. “When you went home.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Wonwoo murmurs, kissing Jeonghan again. “It’s fine now.”

“Is it?” mumbles Jeonghan, her eyes on the lit candles. Wonwoo hums.

“It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“I’m gonna drop it for now. I’m not done with this though.”

“Alright,” Wonwoo chuckles, winding an arm around Jeonghan’s middle. Seungcheol sits on her other side, and Wonwoo pulls her closer, kissing the top of the elder’s head.

 

 

  
Chan stares at Soonyoung through the bars on his window.

“It’s that bad.”

Chan just nods. Slowly, Soonyoung wraps his hand around one of the bars, feels the cold metal against his palm, and sighs, because shit, this isn’t good. This is actually happening.

“We’ll figure it out, okay?” Soonyoung tries to smile for Chan, but it must be shaky, unconvincing, because Chan’s blank gaze is unchanging.

“I’ll figure it out,” Soonyoung repeats. “Promise,” he reaches his hand between the bars, offering Chan his pinky. A promise.

Chan links his pinky with Soonyoung’s.

“I’ll fucking kill you if you break this one.”

“Have I ever let you down before?”

 

 

“You know, I’m really not in the business to get arrested for...whatever this is.”

“Saving Chan from being locked up in his room by his crazy parents?”

“Okay, when you phrase it like that, yeah. I’m totally in the business for that.” Vernon peers up at Chan’s window. The bars gleam in the moonlight.

“They really barred that shit up? God, they’re nuts,” whispers Jeonghan.

“Yep. I need your help, you’re like, an expert at sneaking out.”

“Oh, fuck yeah, this shit’s a breeze. Helene doesn’t have shit on my wealth of sneaking out knowledge.” Jeonghan waves a hand. “Give me a boost up there.”

“Hey, buddo,” Jeonghan greets breathlessly when Chan comes to his window to find half the bars unscrewed.

“Do you think you can fit through there?” Jeonghan examines the hole.

“Easy.” Chan shrugs. “Hang on, let me grab a bag. I’m not coming back.”

Jeonghan widens her eyes, looking down at Soonyoung. “You heard that too, right?”

Soonyoung knows all too well. He just nods. Chan comes back to the window a minute later, tossing a backpack full of stuff through the hole before climbing out after it. Jeonghan climbs down from the window with him, screwdriver held between her teeth.

Soonyoung sweeps Chan up into his arms, holds the younger tightly. Chan leans back, cradling Soonyoung’s face in his hands and taking his time to study the elder’s face. Soonyoung smiles, and finally, so does Chan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“It’s almost time to go back to school,” Minghao whispers in horror. Mingyu pauses halfway to grabbing a box of cereal off the store shelf.

“Yeah?” he looks over at Minghao. She shudders.

“I hate that school and everyone in it,” grumbles Minghao, looking back down at the grocery list Mingyu’s aunt supplied them with.

“Finish school online,” Mingyu suggests, shrugging as he leans down to read the list as well. Minghao pauses, blinking as she thinks about something for just a moment.

“Why didn’t I do that sooner? _Mingyu_.”

“Mhm.” Mingyu isn’t paying attention fully, too busy searching for the right brand of granola.

“Why didn’t I just do school online?” Minghao mumbles.

“Dunno. No one knows what they were thinking in the past. Just switch to online school now.” Mingyu tosses a box into the shopping cart and winds his arm around Minghao’s waist, pulling her closer so he can kiss the top of her head. “No big, right?”

“Right,” Minghao mumbles. She’s already in too deep, thinking about how much easier it would be, not having books to lug around or crowded hallways that are impossible to navigate. Not having the anxiety of asking a teacher for help only to be treated as if she’s stupid. Everyone assuming that because Minghao’s pretty, she can’t be smart.

“Darlin’, can you run and get the milk? Two percent.” Mingyu’s hand slides down Minghao’s waist. She walks away right as he reaches her ass, shooting a smile over her shoulder. Mingyu shakes his head, biting on his lower lip to hide his own grin.

 

 

  
“What? I think grocery shopping together is _very_ hot,” Mingyu insists as he’s putting away groceries. (Of course, on the higher shelves, which Mingyu seems to forget only he is able to reach.)

“That’s your reasoning for grabbing my ass in the cereal aisle?”

“Yep.” Mingyu grins, stepping closer to Minghao. “I also just like grabbing your ass.”

“There’s literally no ass to grab.”

“Oh? I beg to differ?” Mingyu pulls Minghao closer, quirking an eyebrow teasingly as his hands rest on her ass.

“I’m pretty sure there’s no ass there,” Minghao affirms, and then squeaks when Mingyu squeezes her ass.

“Are you like, positive about that? Because there is definitely an ass here and it is an ass that I love. Like, it’s a small ass, but it’s so nice. And..toned. I love your ass. Along with the rest of you. Do you do squats?”

“You’re such a dweeb.” Minghao stretches onto her tiptoes, pulls Mingyu down to her level for a kiss. Mingyu slides his hands further down to the backs of her thighs and, with ease, picks Minghao up.

“What about the groceries?” she asks, grinning.

“We’ll finish putting them away in a bit, I took care of the refrigerated stuff.” Mingyu shrugs, carrying Minghao out of the kitchen and to his room. “The house is ours for the day, we have time.”

Minghao’s breath catches in her throat. She kisses Mingyu again, winding her legs around his waist, and he holds her tighter. Minghao pouts when Mingyu gently sets her down on his bed, but sits patiently as he goes to close the door.

“You want to do this, right?” Mingyu leans down for another brief kiss, his eyes peering wide and earnest into Minghao’s.

She nods slowly, reaching up to brush Mingyu’s hair out of his eyes. “I do, I’ve never had sex with someone before though.”

“So you want me to be your first?”

“Who else?”

Mingyu grins, gently tucking Minghao’s hair behind her ear. “Alright,” he leans in to give her a tender kiss. “You nervous?”

“Not at all,” Minghao breathes out.

 

  
**August 11th, 2:37 p.m.**

 **vodka mom:**  
does. does anyone have that picture of soonyoung when he was in karate in like fourth grade

 **hit the kwon:**  
NO

 **vern the fern:**  
Yes I Have Been Saving It For This Exact Moment.  
(images attached)  
HIYYYYAH

 **hit the kwon:**  
pl eaese

 **vern the fern:**  
(image attached)  
(image attached)  
WHAPOW WATCH OUT FOR THE KARATE KID KWON SOONYOUNG.

 **vodka mom:**  
HDKDJFSKJFSKFJDKFIS  
thank u vernon u prove urself to actually be of some use

 **screamkwan:**  
don’t be rude he’s plenty useful

 **vern the fern:**  
Useful at EATING ASS :PPP

 **screamkwan:**  
nvm

 **vodka mom:**  
die. die right now

 **hong hong hong h:**  
sorry guys I’m with vernon on this one

 **vodka mom:**  
thats becaus eyuore a FUCVKIBGN HOM O

 **seok my dick:**  
is jeonghan okay

 **vodka mom:**  
No. No i am not; Okay. wanna know w. hy ?  
because now i know vernon eats ass. i Never needed to know that.

 **vern the fern:**  
:PPPPPPPP

 **vodka mom:**  
FJCU IKYN ST O P.STO P

 **skateboard lee:**  
its so warm out why god

 **screamkwan:**  
i love it

 **skateboard lee:**  
perfect weather to die :D

 **screamkwan:**  
THE FUCKHIS

 **Actual Mom:**  
Has Anyone Seen My Girlfriend

 **vodka mom:**  
i’m right here

 **Actual Mom:**  
Not you the other one

 **vern the fern:**  
L

 **PROUD TRUCK OWNER:**  
I’d say i’ve earned what you yankees call a W

 **vern the fern:**  
I MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS FIVE

 **mingHOE:**  
W

 **vodka mom:**  
more like D for dick lmao  
do you children think youre slick. nothing gets past Me, Mother Slut.

 

 

 

  
Wonwoo, as it turns out, is holed up in her room, Sorority Noise blasting in her earbuds as she writes in her journal. She doesn’t notice Seungcheol come in until the elder reaches over and taps her knee, drawing a jolt from Wonwoo.

“Don’t scare me like that,” mumbles Wonwoo, snapping the journal shut and dropping it beside her bed. She takes her earbuds out. “What’s up?”

“Checking on you.” Seungcheol shrugs, leans in for a kiss. She feels Wonwoo smile.

“Yeah? Do I seem fine?”

“You tell me,” Seungcheol hums, sitting back on her heels. Wonwoo pouts, pushing her hair out of her eyes. It’s gotten long on top; it’s past her ears by now, the buzzed parts underneath long since grown out. It still suits her, in a way.

“Hm.” Wonwoo stretches her lanky arms over her head. “I feel fine. Shitty that school’s coming up and all, but that’s normal.”

“It’s an alright school. You’ll have the rest of them there with you anyways.”

“Thank God for that,” mutters Wonwoo, a tinge of sarcasm in her low voice.

“Come on, you love them.”

“Maybe not Vernon.”

“ _Definitely_ Vernon.”

“Actually, you’re right. How mad would Seungkwan be if I tried to steal her boyfriend?”

“Seungkwan would laugh at you, honestly. She’d probably tell you to take his dumb ass.”

Wonwoo laughs aloud, falling backwards on her bed and holding her arms out to Seungcheol. “Fair. Cuddle me.”

“You’re all needly, how do I cuddle you?” teases Seungcheol, lying down beside the younger anyways. Wonwoo huffs indignantly and shuffles closer, hooking one long leg over Seungcheol’s waist and slotting the other between her legs. Wonwoo’s arm winds around Seungcheol’s middle, pressing closer until they’re chest to chest and she can tuck her face into Seungcheol’s neck.

“Like this,” murmurs Wonwoo petulantly. Seungcheol grins and kisses the younger on the forehead. Wonwoo’s delicate hands wander to the hem of Seungcheol’s shirt, her lips mouthing at the elder’s jaw. Slowly, Wonwoo slides her hands beneath the fabric of Seungcheol’s shirt, warm fingertips ghosting over the elder’s skin.

Seungcheol hums a little when Wonwoo’s hands palm her breasts, squeeze gently.

“I like your boobs,” Wonwoo giggles, still pressing soft kisses along the column on Seungcheol’s throat.

“Thanks, I like my boobs too.” Seungcheol arches her back, presses even closer to the younger. Wonwoo giggles into Seungcheol’s neck, reaches around to unhook the elder’s bra.

“You should never wear bras.”

“Listen,” Seungcheol giggles, rolling onto her back as Wonwoo shifts their position so she’s sitting between the elder’s legs. Wonwoo flicks her dark eyes up to Seungcheol’s, a wry smile curving her mouth upwards. “I’m listening.”

“I lost my train of thought. Suck my titties. Please.” Seungcheol tacks on a cheesy smile, slipping the straps of her bra off and pulling it out from underneath her tank top. Wonwoo’s nose crinkles, eyes slitted with her wide grin.

“Gladly,” murmurs Wonwoo, pushing Seungcheol’s shirt up and beginning by pressing soft kisses to the elder’s tummy.

“Hey.” Seungcheol cradles Wonwoo’s cheek in one hand, brushes gentle fingertips against the younger’s cheek. Wonwoo peers up at her, gaze sweet, tender.

“Hi,” breathes Wonwoo, giggling. “Thought you wanted me to suck your titties.”

“In a moment. I wanna admire how pretty you are. ‘Cos you’re honestly so fucking pretty.”

Wonwoo’s grin returns, illuminates her sweet features. “You’re beautiful,” she responds, warm baritone dripping adoration. Seungcheol flushes delightedly, pulling Wonwoo in for another kiss.

“Sweet girl,” Seungcheol murmurs affectionately. Wonwoo grins against her lips.

“That’s me,” murmurs Wonwoo, pulling back to press sweet open-mouthed kisses along Seungcheol’s neck. Wonwoo’s hands wander beneath the hem of Seungcheol’s shirt.

This, of course, is when Wonwoo’s bedroom door opens.

“Haven’t I told you to fucking knock?” Wonwoo pulls away from Seungcheol, who sits up and crosses her arms, cheeks flaming.

“Watch your fuckin’ mouth,” grumbles the man Seungcheol presumes is Wonwoo’s father. He leans in the doorway, eyeing his daughter distastefully.

“Take your fuckin’ brother out. He’s giving me a goddamn headache.”

“I’m not his babysitter,” spits Wonwoo, eyes narrowing, “get out of my room.”

Chuckling, her father responds, “I’m not in your room.”

“Then get out of my doorway! Are you fucking twelve?” Wonwoo’s voice rises just a tiny bit; as moody as she can be, Seungcheol is still sure she’s never seen Wonwoo so pissed off.

“Deal with your brother. He’s on my last nerve,” her father commands before he’s gone. For a moment, Wonwoo glares at the spot he’d been standing in, jaw clenching and unclenching furiously.

Finally, Wonwoo looks at Seungcheol once more. She sighs heavily, mood obviously soured.

“Sorry about that. You wanna go get ice cream or something? I don’t feel like being here.” Wonwoo leans in to press a chaste kiss to Seungcheol’s lips.

“Yeah, sure,” Seungcheol answers automatically, manages a small smile. Wonwoo still looks guilty; the smile Seungcheol gets in return is weak, but she accepts it.

Wonwoo’s almost to the front door when her father’s voice orders from the living room:

“Take your brother.”

“I told you I’m not his babysitter,” Wonwoo shoots back, the hand that had been hovering over the doorknob balling into a fist. Before her father can say any more, Wonwoo wrenches the door open and waits on Seungcheol to exit, following the elder hurriedly.

 

 

“It’s not...too bad,” Soonyoung attempts, peering around the old loft. Chan, whose eyes had been on the cracked, water-stained ceiling, meets his boyfriend’s eyes with skepticism brewing in his expression. Soonyoung merely smiles.

“C’mon. Be optimistic here. It just needs a little TLC. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?”

“Are the ceilings gonna leak when it rains?” Chan points toward the ceiling, quirking an eyebrow. Soonyoung follows his finger, studies the weathered ceiling.

“Huh. You know, maybe. But we’ll work on that when we get to it, I guess. Wanna call the other degenerates and see who wants to help give our place some life?”

Chan pretends not to gleam when the word “our” leaves Soonyoung’s mouth without a second thought. Nodding, Chan takes his phone out of his pocket to dial Joshua’s number.

 

 

“Are you sure this place is actually..y’know, _habitable_?” Vernon drops the can of paint with a resounding metallic thud, peering around the loft.

“It will be,” answers Soonyoung, grinning. Vernon shrugs, casting a sideways glance and smirk in Seungkwan’s direction. “Good enough for me. Can we paint dicks on your walls?”

“Go wild, they’ll get covered up anyways.” Soonyoung rolls his eyes. Joshua’s already joining Chan in sweeping the dusty floors, while Seokmin wipes down the windows.

“Honestly, it’s got potential,” comments Seungkwan, taking the can of paint when Vernon attempts and fails to pick it back up. “This color will make it less..y’know, empty-looking,” she examines the splash of paint on the can’s lid indicating what color the paint is; a muted, pale yellow hue that reminds Seungkwan of lots of things. The same yellow of every ninety-nine cent lemonade she’d shared with everyone at least once over the summer. That warm, delightful yellow glowing from the overhead sun, the best kind to soak in even if it means pink cheeks and peeling shoulders later.

“See? Seungkwan sees the potential here,” Soonyoung shoots a grin towards Chan. The younger sneezes and resumes sweeping.

By the time Junhui arrives with Jihoon in tow, Vernon’s got paint in his hair, and Joshua’s covered in dust from giving up and lying on the floor while Chan and Seokmin sweep around him.

“It looks like someone busted a fat one in your hair,” Jihoon tells Hansol blandly. Hansol blinks up at him. “Yeah, it was your dad.”

“Nice try, but my parents finalized their divorce once and for all and he left for Dubai yesterday.”

“Shit. Sorry.”

Jihoon waves a hand. “Don’t be, we hated each other anyways. Anyways, Soon, where the fuck did you find this place?”

“Hey, don’t say it like that!”

“It’s a shithole,” Jihoon deadpans, stepping over Joshua to peer out the cracked window. “Nice view, though.”

“I let you enter my brand new home and the first thing you do is talk about ball sauce and insult my living area?”

Vernon pauses in his lazy brushstrokes to squint at Soonyoung. “Did you just refer to nut as _ball sauce_?”

“So what if I did?”

“I was just gonna say nice one.” Vernon snickers, and beside him, Seungkwan grips her paint brush like she’s refraining from stabbing Vernon with the blunt end of it.

“Yeah, I know.” Soonyoung grins, and then refocuses a serious gaze on Jihoon. “Don’t disrespect my humble home, short man.”

“Do you wanna fucking _fight_? I’ll–“

“I found my girlfriend!” Seungcheol skips through the front door, pulling Jeonghan and a yawning Wonwoo along with her. Their eldest friend pauses abruptly, causing both Wonwoo and Jeonghan to bump into her back.

“Sorry,” Seungcheol mumbles distractedly as she peers around at everyone in the room. Finally, she sighs out, “Eleven. Who’s missing?”

“The fucking heteros,” Joshua answers from the floor.

“Don’t be rude, Mingyu’s bi. Also, he and Minghao are in the honeymoon stage, we’ll see them, like, in two weeks.” Junhui examines her nails. “Oh! I brought snacks, by the way.”

“Snacks..” Joshua’s eyes glaze over for a moment, and then he blinks, grinning lazily. “That reminded me. I brought you guys a housewarming gift–“ Joshua’s statement is interrupted by a yawn, but once he’s finished he resumes, unperturbed, “–it’s like, an edible arrangement.”

“Are we talking the fruit kind or the weed kind?”

“ _You_ tell _me_ , Soonyoung–“

“ _Reow_. The weed kind?”

Nodding, Joshua brushes some dust off of his pants. “Yeah, I put them in the fridge when we got here.”

“Are you, like, the weed Messiah?” queries Chan monotonously, watching Soonyoung and Vernon race towards the kitchen like big, stupid wild animals. Joshua snorts, leans his head on Seokmin’s shoulder. “Nope, just the bestest friend ever.”

“Chan, don’t forget who raised you on their back. It was me,” Jeonghan chimes in, tossing her sheet of dark hair off her shoulders. Their youngest friend peers back and forth between Jeonghan and Joshua before finally just getting to his feet and shuffling towards the kitchen, heaving a defeated sigh. Vernon saunters past him, taking a seat beside Seungkwan with a brownie in hand.

The sun is setting by the time Mingyu and Minghao decide to show up. Two and a half walls are painted, and save for Chan and Joshua hanging a sheet over the window as a makeshift curtain, everyone is lounging on the floor, using one another as pillows.

“Well well well,” Soonyoung yawns, waving lazily. “Welcome to the Kwon-Lee residence.”

“It’s not bad.” Minghao raises her eyebrows.

“It has a working kitchen and bathroom and the rent is cheap so I’m happy with it.” Soonyoung gestures vaguely. Chan collapses onto the floor beside the elder, and Soonyoung wraps an arm around his shoulders.

“Touché.” Minghao lets go of Mingyu’s hand to gingerly step over various sprawled bodies until she finds Junhui, tapping her best friend’s shoulder insistently.

“Hi, I love you,” Junhui answers, muffled due to her face being pressed into Jihoon’s neck. Minghao beams, but takes one of Junhui’s hands and tugs gently.

“I have stuff to tell you, come on.” 

They hurry to the kitchen, and Mingyu takes a seat, smiling wanly.

 

 

_six months later_

 

 

“I swear to God, you’re to blame for this,” Junhui points a finger threateningly in Wonwoo’s face. Blowing smoke out of her nose, Wonwoo passes the cigarette to Jihoon and grins. “Jihoon, tell her.”

“Jeon Wonwoo is not the reason I’m a filthy nicotine addict,” Jihoon enunciates dryly.

“Full offense, how dare you sick fucking emos do that when I’m right here trying to _breathe_?” Minghao takes a seat beside Junhui at the picnic table. Jihoon puffs on the cigarette a few times and hands it back to Wonwoo. She tips the cigarette’s glowing end towards Minghao.

“I’m in mourning. I can’t speak for that one though, he’s just a chainsmoker.”

“Oh, yeah. Vernon told me everything that Jeonghan told him about it, but we all know Jeonghan embellishes when she’s pissed off, and Vernon sucks at retelling gossip, so I’m not sure how accurate all of it is. Give me all the gritty details.” Minghao traces her nail along the wood grain of the table. Wonwoo finishes the cigarette, flicks the butt away, and sighs as she takes another out of the pack.

“I don’t know, I tried to tell her and Seungcheol that I felt like I was being kind of forgotten because they were hanging out all the time and not even like, mentioning it to me, let alone inviting me. Not that I wanted to join them in everything they did, y’know, but–“

“But you were their _girlfriend_ ,” Minghao finishes for Wonwoo as the elder sticks the cigarette between her lips and lights it. Wonwoo nods her head just a little, puffing on the fresh cigarette twice and then handing it off to Jihoon.

“Yep. Jeonghan started saying that I usually didn’t even want to spend time with them anyways and all I did was stay in my room and sleep and I was like well fucking yeah I’m mentally ill and take the prescription antidepressant equivalent of horse tranquilizers and then she started yelling that all I did was make excuses and I kind of lost my shit because it’s not like she’s ever been in my shoes and we were just screaming at each other until Seungcheol made Jeonghan leave. That night I told them I didn’t want to be in a relationship anymore and Jeonghan asked if I’d even wanted to be with them in the first place.

“Whatever. It was fun when it worked, I’m just gonna be a fucking loner from now on,” Wonwoo sighs out, taking the cigarette back from Jihoon. Minghao gives a sympathetic wince.

“Wow. Uh, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you guys to end like that.”

“Whatever.” Wonwoo mutters. She shoves her pack of cigarettes into the pocket of her flannel, extracts herself clumsily from the picnic table. “I’m going to go sleep or punch my wall or something. Deuces, pussies.”

“Can I at least keep the cigarette?” Jihoon groans. Wonwoo turns on her heel to hand it back to him, smirking as if she’s restraining from letting loose some smartass comment.

As Wonwoo’s walking away from the park, in the direction of Crossandra Avenue, Junhui exchanges a look with Minghao.

Vernon rides his skateboard alongside Wonwoo, red-dyed curls sticking out from under the beanie his mom knitted him for Christmas.

“If they were at my birthday party would you still come?”

“Yeah. We’re exes, not mortal enemies. It’s pretty easy to ignore two people with a friend group as big as ours,” Wonwoo answers gruffly, shoving her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. Vernon nods his head slowly.

“Cool. How are you doing?”

“Fucking terrible, my dude.” Wonwoo sighs. Vernon offers a sympathetic smile.

“I can imagine. Uh, I’m sorry, if that means anything. I’m here for you and shit.”

“Get out of the road, you’re about to get hit by that truck with the confederate flag on the tailgate.”

“Why can’t I ever get hit by that old dude with the Rolls Royce?” Vernon grumbles, hurrying to get onto the sidewalk, carrying his skateboard under one arm. “Anyways.”

“Anyways. Thanks. I’ll be alright, though. I’m just gonna feel sorry for myself for another, like, week.” Wonwoo shrugs. She’s almost reached her mailbox. The driveway is empty save for her own car.

“Self care.” Vernon shrugs one shoulder. “Well, be kind to yourself, dude. You know where to find me.”

“Up Seungkwan’s ass?”

“I was gonna say performing clownery, but that’s pretty accurate too. See you later.”

Wonwoo watches Vernon set his board down on the sidewalk and skate away. Almost robotically, she then turns and walks into her house. Wonwoo’s bed seems like the easiest option, the most inviting one.

At Jeonghan’s, there’s boxes being piled into her backseat, suitcases filling her car’s trunk.

“Do you really need _all_ this stuff? You’re going to college three hours away,” Vernon comments skeptically. Jeonghan glares at him for just a moment, slamming the back door of her car. She’s chewing pink bubblegum, pops it loudly and pointedly with a scowl on her face.

“We’re not planning on coming back here any time soon, so, yeah.”

“ _We_. Right.” Vernon peers down the street; Seungcheol’s driveway is practically a mirror image of Jeonghan’s, her car packed and ready to go.

“Are you _sure_ you don’t want to–“

“For the last time, I couldn’t care less if I’m on good terms with her or not.” Jeonghan narrows her eyes at Vernon.

“Why are you so stubborn? Do you really want to carry on being angry forever?”

“I’m not angry,” Jeonghan answers shortly, folding her arms. Her hair, freshly cropped to her chin, flutters around Jeonghan’s face in the breeze.

“Your breakup haircut tells me otherwise.”

“Fuck off, Vernon.”

“I’ve been your friend longer than anyone else on this street, I can read you like a book. You’re angry. It doesn’t really even take a genius to figure that out.” Vernon quirks an eyebrow.

“I don’t have time for you to analyze how I’m feeling. I’ll be fine,” Jeonghan asserts with finality, placing her hands on her hips. Shoving his hands into his pockets, Vernon nods.

“Sure. Well, uh, I’ll go bother my girlfriend or something, have fun packing.” Vernon offers a smile and skates further down the sidewalk. In his pocket, Vernon’s phone buzzes.

  
**kwon fire:**  
we got a pet  
(image attached)  
chan wanted a cat

 **molar man:**  
what IS that

 **kwon fire:**  
its a chicken are you fucikgn blind

  
Vernon crashes into something tall and warm.

“I need to take those texting and driving ads more seriously,” mutters Vernon even as he’s pinwheeling his arms to regain his balance and avoid falling backwards. Mingyu reaches out and grabs the front of his shirt to catch the younger before Vernon eats shit.

“Thanks for that. What’s up, very tall man?” Vernon watches his skateboard roll down the sidewalk riderless, offering Mingyu a fist bump.

“Just going to say hi to Hao,” Mingyu answers, distracted by the sight of Jeonghan stuffing any extra belongings into her car. “No hope on _that_ front, huh?”

“Nope. You know Jeonghan’s stubborn as a fuckin’ bull. I also think she’s kind of mad at me for not picking a side.”

“Her side,” Mingyu specifies, raising his eyebrows. Vernon nods once.

“Whatever. It’ll blow over.” Vernon waves one hand. “Anyways, I’m going to hang with Kwan. Have fun with your geef.”

“Stop calling her that.”

“What? Geef and beef are perfectly acceptable shortened versions of girlfriend and boyfriend.”

“They’re really...not. Anyways, bye.”

They part ways. Seungkwan’s standing at the end of her front walkway, one foot on top of Vernon’s skateboard.

“Lose this?”

“Yuh-huh,” Vernon answers as he reaches Seungkwan, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Damn Mingyu tried to kill me with his tits.”

Seungkwan snorts. “Sure. There’s a family moving into Soonyoung’s old home, wanna go see if they have any cool kids?”

“Always. Wonwoo’s old news by now,” jokes Vernon, taking Seungkwan’s hand. He leaves his skateboard in front of her house in favor of walking alongside the elder.

There’s moving men carrying furniture out of the U-Haul parked in front of the muted green house. As they get closer, Vernon notices a girl seated at the edge of the mouth of the moving truck. He exchanges a look, a little grin with Seungkwan.

“Hey!” Seungkwan greets. The girl glances up at them, expression awfully forlorn. Her ponytail is dyed blue at the ends.

“I’m Seungkwan, I live over there,” Seungkwan points to her house. The girl swings her legs slightly.

“My name’s Kyla,” she finally answers. Vernon grins.

“Vernon. We can show you all the cool people and places in this lame neighborhood,” Vernon offers, squeezing Seungkwan’s hand. Kyla’s smiling now.

“Who says you’re not lame too?” she inquires dryly. Seungkwan snorts, elbows Vernon.

“You got me there. Wanna go get slushies? You can meet some of the coolest people here.”

Kyla peers around; maybe at Jeonghan getting into her car to leave for Columbia, maybe at Junhui and Jihoon planting flowers in front of her house, maybe even Joshua leaning on his mailbox and blushing as he converses with Seokmin.

“Yeah, why not.” Finally, Kyla hops out of the truck.

Seungkwan beams. “Perfect. Welcome to Crossandra Avenue.”

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if theres any inconsistent formatting/editing i have absolutely no will to do One More Gotdam Thing with this story. i think i’m taking a Real break from writing after this is published, but you can always find me on other social media! pls reach out to me i love talking to you all!  
> twt: honeyboyjeno  
> 


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